The Wolf and Little Red: A Hogwarts Love Story
by angelically-devilish
Summary: The golden trio return to Hogwarts seventh year with their favorite werewolf professor. But before love conquers all, Hermione and Lupin have to deal with each other, the affections of another Marauder, and the constant threat of darkness. HG/RL HG/SB
1. Chapter 1: Welcome Back, Professor

DISCLAIMER: As much as I wish I could claim ownership for the beautiful work of fiction that inspired this, I cannot in good conscience or under any legal rights. The characters and general brilliance are all from the creative mind of J.K. Rowling. Any originality in plotline or alternative universe, however, I claim completely as my own.

**Chapter One: Welcome Back, Professor**

"Hey! 'Mione!"

"What?"

"Guess who's coming back to Hogwarts?"

"Who?"

"Go on…guess!"

Hermione Granger sighed wearily as she closed her book and turned to her two best friends, who were bouncing on the balls of their feet. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley were easily two of the most talented and popular boys at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, but they were also a handful. For example, it was two weeks before the start of their seventh year, and they knew she was in the library at 12 Grimmauld Place reading her textbooks so she was ready for her classes. They still insisted, however, on bursting into her quiet sanctuary every few minutes with pieces of beginning-of-term gossip they heard from the various Order members who came in and out of the house. She had tried to explain to them that she really didn't care about any of the gossip if it had nothing to do with the actual lessons being taught, but like everything else in their friendships, Harry and Ron had selective hearing.

Like now.

"I have absolutely _no_ clue, so why don't you two fill me in quickly so I can get back to studying?" she said as coolly as she could, hoping they got the picture.

Ron looked scandalized.

"Studying? Is that what you're doing in here? Blimey, 'Mione, I knew you were a bit sharper than the rest of us, but you do realize term hasn't started yet, right? I mean…what are you studying then, eh?"

He tried to grab her book, but, exasperated by the constant stream of interruption, she slapped it away. She had a twinge of regret at the amount of force she had used, but the effect was what she had intended.

Looking wounded and nursing his hand, Ron shot Hermione a glare and pushed Harry, who was chuckling.

"C'mon, Harry. If she doesn't wanna know, we don't have to tell her." And without another word, the two left the library.

Hermione was slightly glad that she had inflicted the correct amount of pain upon her friend to ensure that he left her alone. Even though she wasn't at Hogwarts, where Madame Pince more than adequately replaced a well-deserved smack when it came to disturbing the peace of her library, the library at Grimmauld Place had been a sanctuary for her, and she hated it when her privacy was invaded by her two friends. She knew their intentions were honorable, for the most part, but she did wish that they would understand when she needed her privacy and her space.

Half-way through reading about a complex memory potion that she was certain Snape would gleefully spring upon them the first day back, Hermione heard footsteps coming up behind her. Frustrated by Ron and Harry's continuous attempts to drag her out of her warm, old-leather-smelling cocoon, she waved her wand without looking and said "_Silencio!_", hoping that they would take the hint. It wasn't until she felt a hand on her shoulder did she look up and, to her horror, she realized she had hexed neither Ron nor Harry.

Remus Lupin, member of the Order of the Phoenix, former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, creator of the Marauder's Map, and singular star of every erotic fantasy Hermione had ever entertained was standing over her. He had an amused look on his face, but he was pointing quite adamantly at his vocal chords.

"Oh! Sorry, Remus…" she said. "_Parlare!_"

He coughed slightly.

"Well, I don't really see how that sort of welcome cannot be taken as an insult," he said dryly, but smiling kindly at her. "I would be infinitely less affronted if you were to assure me that I was not your intended target."

She managed a small smile.

"Ron…and Harry…been bothering me…" she mumbled.

He laughed knowingly before walking silently over to the bookcase farthest from the fireplace. From many summers of combing the library, Hermione knew that that section was specifically for books on the dark arts. She had discovered it, rather painfully, when her curiosity had overridden her better judgment and she had pulled out a book entitled _Through the Orb Darkly: Omens and Curses_. Opening to a random page, a blood-curdling scream resounded from the pages, and echoed in the house after she closed the book. Harry and Sirius had come running, and Sirius had expressed his apologies for not warning Hermione about that section of the library before running off to deal with the portrait of his mother, which had started screaming her usual torrent of curses.

"They have a book like that at Hogwarts," Harry had said soberly as they quickly walked out of the library together. "In the restricted section. I opened it accidentally our first year. Nearly got pinched by Filch and Mrs. Norris."

Needless to say, Hermione never ventured too closely to that section again.

Now, Lupin was perusing the section as if he were deciding which type of cereal to pick from a Muggle supermarket aisle. Hermione stared at him, wondering what he was up to. He must have felt her eyes on him, because he turned to her, saying:

"Most of my dark arts books were lost when the Death Eaters torched my house last summer," he explained. "I'm gonna need some of these back at Hogwarts if I actually want to teach anything."

Hermione blinked, wondering what he meant by 'back at Hogwarts' before realizing that Harry and Ron had been trying to tell her that Lupin was coming back to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts again. That had been the reason why they were so keen on her participation in their guessing game. They knew, better than anyone, about the not-so-innocent torch she carried for the seemingly-quiet, unassuming professor.

He seemed to register her surprise.

"I thought the boys would have told you. I told them when I got here an hour ago and they scampered up here, so I assumed they had filled you in," he said.

She blushed.

"I…er…was a little short with them," she said. "And I ended up smacking Ron on the hand before they told me."

The corners of Remus's lips went up, and he turned back to the shelves of books. If the truth be told, Hermione was one of the reasons he was excited to be going back to teach. She had always been exceptionally bright, but as he had gotten to know her better outside the 'realm of academic achievement,' as the Weasley twins put it, he also found her to be exceptionally kind and generous too. She reminded him a lot of Harry's mother, Lily, and that endeared Hermione to him. It also didn't hurt that in the four years since he had met her, she had developed from a big-toothed, bushy-haired little know-it-all to a curved, long-legged vixen of a witch. Sirius had cruder ways of putting it, (As in, "a tasty little crumpet" who he'd like to "butter her nooks and crannys") but Remus had to admit that Hermione, now seventeen, was most bewitching. Or, as Sirius put it the night before when Hermione had unknowingly interrupted them when she came into the kitchen to get a glass of water wearing very short pajama shorts and a camisole, she had turned into a "very shaggable little minx."

"Hermione," Remus said, turning toward her to see her looking through her book again. "What classes are you taking this year?"

She looked up.

"Oh. Um, Potions, Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, Transfiguration, Charms, Herbology, History of Magic, Astronomy, and Defense Against the Dark Arts," she said. "I was going to try Muggle Studies again, but I don't think I need it as much as other students, so I wouldn't want to deprive some other student of a seat in the class."

Remus held his tongue, wanting to gently inform her that Muggle Studies was never a very popular course, as most wizards had no real interest in learning about Muggles, the only exception in his mind being Arthur Weasley.

"I asked Ron and Harry that same question, but they aren't taking nearly as many classes as you," he said. "I was wondering how I should prepare my lessons for seventh years, since your education has been so uneven." He paused, looking at her pensively. "Do you want to help me come up with a few lesson plans? You can fill me in on what you've covered and what you haven't, and I can base my lessons off of that."

Hermione looked at him, wide-eyed and filled with excitement at the prospect of diving into more work. She had to admit that she was becoming bored with the summer holidays, and longed for intellectual stimulation. She knew she was an anomaly amongst her peers, but she did like the continuous flow of lessons and homework when she was at Hogwarts. It gave her something to do, and distracted her from the very obvious knowledge that she really wasn't talented in anything other than brains.

While Harry, Ron, and Ginny had Quidditch to distract them from the darkness of their own minds, Hermione had found it increasingly difficult to push her insecurities out of her head, like her growing fear that she would never be attractive to anyone. She had only had one significant romantic relationship in her six years at school and in terms of the scandal scale, Viktor Krum had barely been a blip. While Ron and Harry had snogged and debauched their way through most of their fifth and sixth years, Hermione had been studious and quiet. Even at the end of sixth year, when an ill-advised end-of-term party in the Forbidden Forest had led her to spend the night with Ron, (both of them had woken up the next day with massive hangovers, half-naked and cold on the cold forest ground, and had sworn each other to complete silence – a pact they had both broken by filling in a reluctant and irritated Harry) for the most part, Hermione was the nice, quiet little bookworm everyone thought she was.

She was sick of that perception, but knew that until she left school, the only people who would be interested in her were boys her own age but vastly below her maturity level. And as much as she loved her two best friends, she did not, under any circumstances, want to date them or anyone like them.

The man she _did_ want to date was standing in front of her, smiling slightly at the look of joy on her face.

"When can we start?" she asked eagerly.

He laughed.

"As soon as I've unpacked. Sirius has insisted that I move in, as he feels he needs an adult to talk to considering you lot have been here since the beginning of summer. It's not that you need baby-sitting," he continued quickly, seeing the argument appear in her hazel eyes. "It's just that as much as he loves Harry and you all being around, he feels old and lonely and wants someone just as old and lonely to join him. Misery loves company, and all."

"Oh, Sirius can't be miserable! Considering his maturity level fluctuates dangerously down to Harry and Ron's level sometimes…" She couldn't help feeling slightly bitter at the idea of Sirius's complaint. Neither she nor Ron had asked to spend the summer at Grimmauld Place. Not that she was particularly complaining, but she knew her parents were spending the summer in Sweden, and she very much wanted to see the fjords.

Lupin chuckled.

"He just wants someone to drink with, I think. Anyway, after I'm settled, I'll come and get you. Probably after supper. Sound good?"

"Yeah. No problem."

"Good. I'm going to take these books upstairs, and try to convince Kreacher that I come in peace," he joked, throwing her a wink as he walked out.

Hermione smiled to herself. If she couldn't have a decent romantic relationship, she could at least spend time with the one man who could keep her wicked imagination running. Curling back in the chair, she looked back at her Potions book.

She became so engrossed that she didn't hear two tiny *pop* sounds behind her, and she nearly jumped a mile as two pairs of hands grasped her around the middle.

"Hey Hermione," George Weasley said with a grin.

She smiled slightly.

"Hello boys," she replied.

"A little bird told us that a certain professor is returning back to Hogwarts this year," Fred said, trying to keep his teasing tone subtle.

"And?"

"And…we were just wondering if you were interested in purchasing one of our many love potions?"

"They're not strong, but they work for a few hours."

"Enough time for you to…erm…get what you need?"

The twins broke into identical grins, and Hermione chuckled. She always had a soft spot for them, and even though she sometimes found their antics a bit below her, she still knew that should she ever need anyone, they were always there.

"I don't know what you're insinuating, boys. Why would I need a love potion?" she said innocently.

Fred (or was it George?) smirked.

"We could give you something…er…stronger?" he said.

"Yeah. Something a bit more…animalistic."

"Appropriate, as it were."

Hermione sighed. She put her hands on their cheeks, patting them gently.

"Boys," she said. "As appreciative as I am that you are eager to help me with my sex life, I must inform you that should I _ever _find myself in need of it, you two will _not_ be the people I call upon for help."

George shrugged.

"Thought we could help," he said.

"Yeah. We don't want you ending up in the sack with some random wizard just to abate your burning sexual desires."

"Yeah. We wouldn't want you to end up with Ron again."

And before she could say anything, they had both disapparated with twin grins still on their faces.


	2. Chapter 2: Midnight Musings

**Chapter Two: Midnight Musings**

A week later, Hermione and Lupin were heading up to his room, both trying to ignore the knowing glances Sirius, the twins, Ron, and Harry all gave them. They had gotten used to the looks, as they had been receiving them for days now. Fortunately, Mrs. Weasley was too busy fussing over Charlie's hair to notice the smirks that surrounded the table, and it wasn't until Moody's gruff suggestion that they all find something else to do with their evening that the kitchen started to empty. Sirius, however, stayed, lighting his pipe and listening to the wizarding wireless that sat by the wood-burning stove.

He hadn't realized how long he was sitting there until Remus came back down. Looking at his watch, Sirius realized he had been sitting for almost three hours, and that it was nearing midnight. From the look on Remus's face, that night's lesson planning had been slightly difficult, undoubtedly owing to the fact that there had been both books and a bed in the vicinity of Hermione. Sirius understood that both of those things could have factored into Remus's distracted state, so he waited in silence in the corner for Remus to notice him.

Remus almost choked on his glass of water when he saw Sirius sitting quietly, smoking a pipe. His head had been lost in the past three hours, and how everything Hermione had said to him while they were up in his room had gone in one ear and out the other as he watched her pour over books, her long, golden-brown hair curling over her shoulders like waves of butterbeer. She had an adorable habit of biting her bottom lip when she was thinking, and once she had accidentally put her wand behind her ear instead of her quill, all rational thought was gone. He had coughed, found an excuse to look at his watch, and then unceremoniously kicked her out of the room, the whole time trying to hide his body's reaction to her presence.

"Well, Mooney old boy," Sirius said, a lilt of mockery to his tone. "How's Little Red Riding Hood?"

Remus shot him a look.

"Must you behave like a teenager when it comes to simple matters?" he asked his smirking friend.

Sirius chuckled.

"I admire your self-control, man. If I had her in my room…well…you can say that doing anything _apart_ from her would not be in my scope of reference."

"She's not a plaything, Sirius."

"I never said she was. But face it, my friend, she's a gorgeous, not to mention _legal_, little witch and her sashaying around the place in her knickers is hardly a way to keep your inner wolf under control. Am I right?"

Remus blushed, but said nothing as he sat at the long, weathered kitchen table. Sirius stood, turning off the wireless and walked over to his friend, sitting across from him. He could tell that Remus was uncomfortable with the emotions that were taking over him, and Sirius knew better than anybody the walls his friend had built around his heart over the past twenty years. Ever since Lily had fallen for James, Remus had lived an almost-celibate existence, seeking physical comfort only when he knew it would be dangerous not to. And even then, he had looked in the most unromantic places – the whispering wanton witches of Knockturn Alley, the jaded older women in Muggle pubs, and sometimes, though Sirius knew it had only been once or twice, from a female werewolf during his transformations in the Forbidden Forest at Hogwarts.

"I don't know how I'm going to survive this year, Sirius," Remus said mournfully, taking a sip of his water. As though reading his mind, Sirius conjured up two glasses and a large bottle of firewhiskey, watching knowingly as Remus pushed the water away.

"Listen, I've seen Hermione grow up over the past few years, and I've seen how she looks at you. She may be seventeen, Remus, but that girl has got it bad for you."

"Don't be stupid, Sirius," Remus said. "It's a childish fascination. If I were to…well…" He was having trouble with the right words.

"If you were to shag her rotten," Sirius said bluntly.

Remus blushed again.

"Well…yes," he said. "If I were to…to…"

"Shag her rotten," Sirius repeated.

Remus sighed.

"I suppose it's easier if you say it. But yes, if I were to…"

"Shag her rotten."

"Then it would ruin her. I mean…she's not used to…to…"

Sirius smirked.

"To being shagged rotten?"

"Sirius!"

"Well, you have to admit that your sensitivity to the idea is rather funny, considering I know for a fact that you have had your fill of moaning paramours in your time. And as much as I have spent many a lonely night imagining a virginal, moaning Hermione, I know for a fact that she is not, as you may think, a pure, fragile thing."

Remus frowned slightly.

"What do you mean?"

Sirius leaned in slightly.

"I happen to know that she has shagged Ron Weasley, and that Ron was quite taken by how brazenly wanton she was in bed. And you know what a lech _he_ is," he said, smirking at the shocked look on Remus's face.

"Yeah…but…I mean…if Ron is her only experience..."

"Still…Remus, you've got to understand that she's not that awkward little thirteen-year-old you once knew. She's grown up, she's a woman, and she desires you. And you desire her too. So what's the problem?"

Remus didn't want to say what his real issue was, because he knew what Sirius's response would be. But Sirius didn't understand. There were emotions involved that hadn't burned inside him since he was in school, and first set eyes on Lily Evans. Sure, his lust had quickly dissolved to brotherly affection, especially since she seemed so keen on his best friend, but Remus had tried to block all romantic emotions since then, knowing that, as a werewolf, he would not, _could not_, be accepted as the lover, partner, or spouse of any witch, regardless of his feelings towards her.

"Remus, mate, you gotta get over this whole werewolf thing," Sirius said, as though reading his friend's mind. "The rest of us have."

"The rest of you have because I'm not fucking anyone here, am I?" Remus said, a little harsher than he intended.

Sirius arched an eyebrow.

"Wait a minute," he said, comprehension starting to dawn on him. "You…you want to mark her, don't you?"

When Remus didn't say anything, Sirius sat back in his seat.

"Well…fuck."

"I don't know, Sirius. This is all very new to me."

"Well…I can't say that I'm completely surprised…but I'm not altogether certain how I feel about it. Not because of what you are," Sirius added quickly, seeing the anguish on his friend's face. "Or even because you happen to be twenty years older than her. I think it's because I'm not sure you love yourself enough to love her the way she deserves."

"I…wait…what?"

Sirius sighed.

"I love you, mate, you know that. 'Once a Marauder' and all, you know? But you have spent the past sixteen years in a slow downward spiral that you no longer think you're worth loving anymore, which is complete crap. You're too caught up with the werewolf side of you, man. You're still human, after all."

"Yeah, but I couldn't potentially kill her as a human, could I?"

"Logically, yes. Humans have been known to kill one another every once in awhile," Sirius said dryly. "But yes, I agree there are risks but you've been a werewolf long enough to know how to take those precautions. And she's no idiot either, you know."

"I never thought she was…I just…she's too young to have to make that decision. She needs to experience other men…or at least other boys her age."

Sirius arched an eyebrow.

"Have you seen the boys her age? They act like a bunch of teenagers, which is appropriate, of course, but Hermione does _not_ act like a teenager and I don't think she would be happy dating one."

"Well…" but Remus was sick of the argument. He knew that despite the childish crush Hermione might have had in the past, she didn't deserve the curse he had to offer, and she was too beautiful, too delicate, too angelic to be the sordid type of outlet that Sirius had none-too-subtly intimated.

A sound of footsteps coming down the stairs interrupted whatever Sirius was going to add to the topic, and seconds later Hermione, ears red and face burning, walked into the kitchen. She didn't seem to notice the two older men as she started mumbling to herself, grabbing a glass of water.

"Damn those boys," she said, and Remus couldn't help but notice her voice was a bit breathy. "Just a book…just…an outlet…" She trailed off, looking out the window before turning around. She flushed bright red when she saw both Remus and Sirius looking at her amusedly.

"What has my godson and his troupe of bumbling baboons done now?" Sirius asked, leaning back in his chair with a coy smile.

"Oh! Nothing. Just…talking to myself."

"Clearly," Remus said with a small smile. He didn't think it possible, but she flushed a brighter red.

"No, it's just…I was reading. And then all four of them stormed into my room…" She trailed off again as Sirius arched an eyebrow.

"I suppose they tore the mickey out of you for reading your textbooks before bed?" he asked, knowing the concept of voluntary individual study made the Weasley boys and Harry break into nervous hives.

Hermione mumbled something.

"Sorry?"

"Wasn't a textbook," she said softly.

Sirius looked puzzled.

"I was unaware that you read anything other than textbooks," he said in sincere shock.

Remus sighed at his friend's lack of sensitivity as Hermione turned pink again.

"Hermione, dear, I'm sure, whatever it was, it's not as bad as you think…" Remus started, in a paternal sort of tone, but he was interrupted by thunderous footsteps rushing down the stairs. Hermione squealed slightly as Ron, Fred, George, and Harry all burst in, waving a copy of what looked like a very used copy of a Muggle romance.

"I never thought I'd see the day when Hermione Granger resorted to porn!" Fred said, looking at the embarrassed witch wickedly.

"It's not porn!" she said, but Remus could hear the alarm and fear in her voice.

"It's porn," Ron said gleefully. "You may wrap it in a book jacket and hide behind it's frilly language, but in the end, Hector's throbbing member still pleasures Penelope's unbridled lust."

Remus pushed aside the thought that Ron had never before been so eloquent as he watched Hermione's face. Tears of embarrassment were streaming down her face, and as Sirius reached curiously for the book, she fled, running out of the kitchen and up the wooden staircase.

Remus sighed.

"You all have absolutely no sense of decency," he said flatly, standing and following her. As he was climbing the stairs, he heard howls of laughter, and assumed the boys were combing through the pages, reading particularly juicy paragraphs out loud.

"Hermione?" he asked, knocking gently at her door.

"Please," he heard her muffled reply. "Please, go away."

"It's Remus. I just wanted to make sure you were ok," he said kindly, hoping that she would recognize him as an ally, not an enemy. After a second's hesitation, he heard her bare feet pad against the thick carpet, and heard her unbolt the door, allowing him in.

"I'm sorry about how those boys were behaving," he said, sitting on the edge of her bed as she crawled under the covers.

She stifled a sob, and his heart went out to her.

"Hermione, please," he said, and she turned, looking at him with those big hazel eyes.

"This is ridiculous," he heard her say, her voice somewhat more composed. "Why should I be embarrassed by this? It's natural…right?"

He tried to will the flush away from his cheeks.

"I…um…perhaps I'm not the best person to ask…maybe you can talk to Molly…in the morning…" he stuttered.

She looked at her quilt, a present from her Muggle grandmother, and picked an invisible piece of lint from it. She felt very young. She had never had to deal with this when she was living at home, because she didn't have four obnoxious brothers nosing in on her private life.

But now, here, at Grimmauld Place, she felt as though everything was out in the open, including her feelings for the kind man sitting next to her, looking increasingly uncomfortable.

"Thank you for coming up to see if I was alright," she said lamely, trying not to look at him. "You don't have to stay."

"I…" he looked at her, noting the sadness of her features and wondering how someone so young could instill such longing in him. "It's not a chore, Hermione."

She looked up at him and gave him a small smile. Tentatively, he put his arm around her, trying to be comforting without overstepping his boundaries. He had momentarily forgotten that he would be her professor for the next year, and instead focused on the fact that the two of them had become close friends in the past three years.

Hermione felt comfortable with his arm around her, and she wrapped hers around his muscular torso, putting her head on his chest and listening to his heartbeat. She ignored the fact that it seemed to beat faster as he held her. It was probably just her imagination anyway.

Remus was trying to ignore the wolf in him, that howled in lustful desire as the scent of Hermione's body intoxicated his sensitive senses. He felt his hand push a strand of her honey-colored curls away from her face, unconsciously forcing her to look up at him. Her eyes were wide, and he felt himself slowly losing his grip on control.

"Remus? Remus, where are you?" Lupin heard a voice call, and he almost tripped over his robes as he jumped across the room, putting a healthy, even cold, distance between him and the doe-eyed witch on the bed.

Tonks poked her head into the room.

"Oh. Hello," she said, smiling at Hermione and looking bemusedly at Remus.

Remus cleared his throat.

"Hello Tonks. What's up?"

"Kingsley and I just came over because Dumbledore wants to see us early tomorrow morning. Do you think you can…er…get away?" She arched a playful eyebrow at him.

He hated himself for being so obvious.

"Um…yes. Yes, I'll be there."

"Great. I'll run and tell Kingsley. Wotcha, 'Mione," she said brightly before disappearing behind the closed door.

Remus looked at Hermione. She looked at him coolly, appraising him before laying back down, pulling the blankets around her body.

"Good night, professor," she said, and he couldn't help hearing the biting tone.

He cringed.

"Hermione…"

But she didn't respond. Sighing, he walked out of the room, closing the door and leaning against it, willing his body to calm itself and inwardly loathing his inner wolf. After a minute he registered the happy voices down below in the kitchen. In no mood to join them, he swept back to his room, planning on dunking his head in a pail of cold water.


	3. Chapter 3: On the Hogwarts Express

**Chapter Three: On the Hogwarts Express**

Hermione gazed out of the window, watching the wind whip through the trees and grass that rushed past her as the Hogwarts Express rumbled north. Harry, Ginny, Ron, Lavender, and the Patil twins were talking animatedly together next to her, but she didn't pay much attention to them. All she could think about was how the deep gray of the storm clouds overhead reminded her overwhelmingly of how _his_ eyes had looked that night.

The night he had almost kissed her.

The next morning he had gone with Tonks and Kingsley to see Dumbledore and hadn't returned until the night before. They had all been in such a rush to pack that she hadn't had the opportunity to talk to him. Not that he was really putting in the effort to approach her. Every time he saw her, he pretended to have something overwhelmingly important to do and excused himself from her presence. It had annoyed her to no end. What did he think she was going to do? Jump him?

No way. Not after his reaction.

"'Mione," Ron said, his mouth stuffed with a Cauldron Cake that Harry had bought from the elderly witch who pushed the snack trolley. Hermione looked up, not noticing the cake Harry had wordlessly placed in front of her.

"Yes?" she asked, looking into her friend's concerned blue eyes.

"Um…are you alright? You've been…er…uncharacteristically quiet," he asked.

"Fine," she said, with what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "Just…you know…thinking."

"She's probably just worried about classes," Lavender said soothingly to Ron. "You know her."

Normally, Hermione would have been slightly put out by Lavender's assertion that Hermione worried about nothing but classes and homework, but for once, she was glad that no one was questioning her real emotions. They all assumed that, this close to the start of term, she would be worrying about it.

Or so she thought.

"Um…Ron…why don't you, Lavender, Pavarti, and Padma go and find Neville and Luna? I didn't see them on the platform but neither of them said they weren't coming back in their letters over the summer," Ginny said gently to her older brother, who was more than adequately engaged by the three good-looking girls who were sitting around him.

"What? Why?" he asked.

Harry sighed, smiling patiently at his friend before flicking his eyes to Hermione, who had gone back to looking out of the window. He knew his friend was a bit thicker than everyone else when it came to Hermione's emotions, but even he knew when he needed to get lost.

"Oh! Right. C'mon, ladies. I'm sure Luna has some…er…Nargles or something to show us," he said, standing and swatting Lavender playfully on the bottom as they filed out of the compartment. She gasped and giggled, casting him a come-hither look that Harry was sure Ron would address later that long train ride.

"Alright, Hermione, what's really the problem?" Harry asked as Pavarti slid the door closed.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she said airily, but realized that she was now only addressing Harry and Ginny, both of whom could see through her seemingly indifferent attitude in a snitch-like second.

"Is this about Lupin again?" Harry asked, finding himself getting more and more frustrated with his two friends. He didn't understand why they didn't just shag and get all the burning sexual tension out of the way.

"Harry," Ginny said reprovingly, looking at her boyfriend.

He shrugged, and Hermione sighed.

"There's something I didn't tell you," she said, and proceeded to explain the events of the week earlier in Grimmauld Place. Ginny shot Harry a glare when Hermione told her about how the boys had taunted her mercilessly about her romance book, and he had looked slightly embarrassed at his own actions. Their eyes both widened when she told them about Lupin's actions, and their near-kiss, and Tonks's interruption.

"Damn Tonks. She always knows how to spoil a moment," Harry said through gritted teeth.

Ginny smirked slightly. Clearly, neither had forgotten how Tonks had interrupted a very intimate moment between them, which had led to Mrs. Weasley's discovery that the two had been sleeping together. The Burrrow had trembled with the rage of her voice. Neither Ginny nor Harry could forget the very vivid, very uncomfortable two hours Mrs. Weasley had spent telling them about sexual responsibility.

"I don't know, Harry. I mean, you didn't see his face. He looked completely disgusted with himself. Like he was almost glad for the interruption," Hermione said sadly, drawing her knees up to her chest.

Ginny sighed.

"Hermione, there's nothing wrong with you," she said, reading her friend's mind.

"'Course there isn't! Why would you think there is?" Harry asked, not quite getting it.

Hermione smiled slightly as Ginny rolled her eyes, saying "_Honestly_, Harry" under her breath.

"I do appreciate the moral support, really, but I suppose I should just come to the conclusion that I repulse pretty much most men. I mean…_Ron_ didn't even want to…" She trailed off, tears of shame in her eyes.

She wasn't surprised by the look of immediate regret in Ron's eyes the morning after they slept together, but that didn't stop it from hurting any less. She knew she couldn't date him, as they would consistently either be at each other's throats or in each other's pants, neither being of particular interest to Hermione. The fact that he didn't fight for it, though, was slightly maddening.

Harry coughed.

"'Mione, I think you should know…Ron…well…he's a bit of a cad when it comes to girls, but…well…he really did enjoy…erm…that night," he said, looking at Ginny for support.

"Ron knows he can't handle a girl like you, 'Mione. You're too smart for him and he knows it. You know Ron. He likes things simple." Hermione smiled at this, and Ginny smiled supportively. "But you're not really upset about that night with Ron, are you? I mean, that was months ago…"

"No, I'm upset of men recoiling at the sight of me," Hermione blurted out.

"Excuse me, but _I_ don't recoil at the sight of you, and what am I?" Harry asked haughtily.

"No, I mean…in intimate moments." She blushed, trying not to look at Ginny. She didn't feel it was appropriate to remind Harry of the brief, slightly awkward kiss they had shared their fourth year before he went to go fight the Hungarian Horntail during the Triwizard Tournament, and that he had pretended it hadn't happened immediately afterwards.

"Lupin didn't recoil, Hermione. I'm sure he really does like you. But he's your professor this year, isn't he? I mean…if something had happened, it would have made things awfully uncomfortable, wouldn't it?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah, I suppose," Hermione said. Then she sighed. "I just…I just wish I had some sort of physical outlet so that I don't have all this tension burning inside me every time I see him."

Ginny smirked.

"Don't say that too loud, or Fred and George will appear out of nowhere and offer themselves for your sexual pleasure," she said.

Harry laughed.

"If there were ever two guys who _wouldn't_ recoil at the sight of you, Hermione, it would be those two. They've been panting over you for years."

Hermione chuckled.

"I was actually thinking of something like Quidditch or something equally as physically demanding, but I'll remember that the next time Fred and George apparate in front of me."

Ginny looked at her friend, an idea coming to her.

"Why _don't_ you do something physical? I read something in one of Dad's Muggle books about exercise…apparently, some Muggles just run. For fun. That sounds like something you could do, isn't it?" she asked.

Harry nodded.

"Yeah, why not jog, Hermione? I mean, once around the lake is probably a good quarter mile…that should take your mind off Lupin, shouldn't it?"

Hermione had to admit that the idea had come to her over the summer, as she had looked in the mirror and realized that she had filled out a little more than she had intended. With Mrs. Weasley's wonderful food and no exercise most of the summer, she was a little self-conscious that her flat belly would start to expand a bit beyond what she was comfortable with.

"I don't see there being any other option, really. It'll be nice to do it while the weather's fair. Though, I'd feel like a twit doing it on my own."

"Who cares? You're a seventh year, Head Girl, and even Malfoy can't say anything against your intelligence level. Who knows? Maybe you'll start a trend for young witches. They may think it's the secret of your infinite knowledge," Harry assured, and Hermione felt much better.

As Ginny ran off to get Ron and the girls again, Hermione pulled her charms spellbook down from the luggage rack, looking forward to getting her head back into her classes. Harry watched her, smiling slightly to himself. If there was anyone who was absolutely perfect for the brunette bookworm, it was Lupin. They had the same dry sense of humor, both had an appreciation for books and theory, and were both exceptionally intelligent. Harry was overcome with the need to kick his older friend hard for being a complete fuckwit about the whole situation.

"Hiya Harry! Hi Hermione!" Neville said cheerfully as he, Luna, Ginny, and the Patil twins walked back into the compartment. Ginny raised an eyebrow to show that Ron and Lavender were indisposed, a fact that the Patil twins thought very funny.

"How was your summer, Neville?" Hermione asked politely.

"Oh, it was alright. My gran's a bit worried about me this year. Seems to think that Harry's a bad influence. "You don't have Harry Potter's brains, Neville, so behave yourself this year and stay out of trouble," Neville said, in a dead-on imitation of his overbearing grandmother. Then he grinned. "But she can't keep _that_ close of an eye on me if I'm at Hogwarts, so I'm in for anything you all have cooking."

Harry chuckled. As much as they all liked Neville, he wasn't the most talented wizard, and though he had proved himself time and again when they were in a pinch, there were several other people Harry would rather call upon for help.

"How about you, Luna? How was your summer?" Ginny asked the ethereal looking witch, who was reading the _Quibbler_ upside down again.

She peeked over the magazine, her blue eyes so large, she reminded Harry of Professor Trelawney.

"Quite satisfactory, thank you," she said with a smile. "Father and I went to Abyssinia to look for Quochart eggs, but to no avail. We did manage to hear a bit of news about Hogwarts while we were away, though. Did you know Professor Lupin was coming back?"

Hermione tensed behind her book, and she saw Harry and Ginny cast worried looks at her. She pretended she didn't hear, and Ginny and Harry took this as a sign to continue the conversation without her.

"Yeah, we saw him over the summer. Dumbledore offered him the position about two weeks ago," Harry said.

"My gran wasn't too thrilled with the idea of me being taught by a werewolf. But then I reminded her that I learned more in Professor Lupin's class third year than from any of our other Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers, and considering she thinks I'm impossible to teach, she couldn't really say anything nasty about him," Neville said, eating a chocolate frog.

Hermione had to wonder why Neville was so lessaiz-faire about how his grandmother treated him. She knew if anyone put _her_ down as often as Mrs. Longbottom did, she would be very bitter. But Neville always took it in stride, almost mocking it and working as hard as he could to prove himself to her.

"I always thought Professor Lupin was a bit of a dish, didn't you?" Pavarti asked Ginny.

Ginny glanced at Hermione, but Hermione remained behind her book.

"Well…he's very…intellectual-looking," Ginny said, looking at Harry for support.

"Personally, I never found him all that attractive," Harry said with a grin. "But I suppose that's because I've never really thought about it."

The Patil twins giggled at this.

"I've always found him a bit scary. Those scars aren't very nice, are they?" Padma said. "But I suppose he can't help it, being a werewolf and everything. I wonder what he's going to be teaching us this year. It's odd, being in a class where you're never sure where you're going to start at the beginning of the year because the same teacher has never stuck around."

"I hope he'll teach us how to deal with dragons," Luna said in her airy sort of way. "I've always found them highly misunderstood creatures."

"Yeah, that's because you've never had to deal with one up close," Harry said bracingly, his mind wandering back to the Hungarian Horntail.

"I suppose we could always take a cue from you, and summon a broom should we ever find ourselves in front of one," Ginny said, giving her boyfriend's hand a squeeze. "Personally, I want to learn about more hexes this year. I hope he teaches us some practical defense."

"Well, anything he does has got to be better than Snape," Neville said, shuddering at the thought of their least favorite professor. "Although I'm not looking forward to potions this year. I just know he's going to pick something really hard for the first day of class, and I don't want my cauldron to blow up again."

"I'm sure you'll be just fine, Neville," Ginny said reassuringly.

"Hello! What are we talking about then?" Ron said, leading a disheveled but smiling Lavender back into the compartment. Lavender sat next to Pavarti, and the two started whispering and giggling together as Ron sat next to Hermione.

"Just the start of term. Luna's just told us about Professor Lupin," Padma said.

"Oh yeah. Known about that for ages. You know, Lupin asked Hermione..."

"Neville's said he's excited to have Professor Lupin back," Harry interrupted, shooting a warning look at his best friend. "Said he's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts professor we've had."

"Well…he's right, isn't he? I mean…Quirrell was completely useless, and Lockhart wasn't worth much. Mind you, Moody was pretty cool but that wasn't really him, was it? And then there was Snape last year, and we all know what a right ponce he is."

Lavender sighed.

"I've always thought there was something sexy about Professor Lupin," she said, looking at Pavarti for support.

"Yeah, that's what I said," she agreed, and they both giggled again.

"I've never paid much attention to the attractiveness of professors," Luna said thoughtfully. "Though, I suppose Professor Binns must have been a catch, back in his day," she added, thinking of the History of Magic professor who had woken up one day as a ghost and continued teaching as though nothing had happened.

Lavender and the Patil twins looked slightly nauseated, while Ron let out a hearty laugh.

"Yeah, I'm sure Professor Binns was quite the heartbreaker. He probably _bored_ the pants off off the witches he dated."

Lavender and the twins dissolved into giggles once more.

Hermione sighed behind her book, trying to block the rest of the conversation. She appreciated Harry and Ginny's attempts to steer it away from Professor Lupin, but inevitably one of the other girls would bring the conversation back. By the end of the journey, Hermione had had quite enough of hearing how dishy he was to other students. They could have him if they thought that. She would stay well clear of him as much as she could. She wondered if Lavender, who had never had a problem getting a date, would be half as affected if Lupin recoiled from her.

Then again, Hermione thought bitterly, she wondered if he would recoil from Lavender. Clearly, no one else had.

As the train pulled into Hogsmeade station, Hermione slipped into her school robes in silence. The Patil twins, Lavender, Neville, and Luna had all gone back to their original compartments, and Ron, Harry, and Ginny were discussing their new strategies for winning the Quidditch House Cup again this year. Hermione would be glad when the feast was over and she could go up to her dormitory to sleep. She was so tired that she hoped she could fall into a peaceful sleep, completely void of Lupin and his dark gray eyes.


	4. Chapter 4: Defense Against the Dark Arts

**Chapter Four: Defense Against the Dark Arts**

The start of term had everyone excited, and the news of Professor Lupin's return had everyone eager to go to their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class. It seemed that everyone was happy with his return except the Slytherins, which came as no real surprise to anyone else. It seemed that silent terror You-Know-Who was inspiring fanned their pureblood fervor even more now.

"God, I can't believe Dumbledore has let that maniac return," they heard Malfoy say to his trusty sidekicks, Crabbe and Goyle, as the Gryffindor and Slytherin seventh years were waiting outside the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. "Werewolves, teaching students. My father's been trying to convince the governors not to let him return, but of course, Dumbledore has assured them all that he's quite harmless. Well…werewolves can never be harmless, can they?"

Normally, Hermione would have cracked some wry comment about Salazar Slytherin and how he had been far from harmless. But her anxiety about seeing Lupin again hadn't ebbed and so she ignored the snide remarks Malfoy and his cronies were making as she stood at the edge of the group, eyebrows knit. She wondered if she should explain to Professor McGonagall that she had helped plan the classes, and ask if she really _needed_ to take Defense Against the Dark Arts that year. The door opened before she could make an escape, however, and Lupin had locked eyes on her as he allowed the rest of the students into the classroom.

"Good morning, Miss Granger," he said, smiling slightly.

She walked right passed him wordlessly.

Remus cleared his throat, walking to the head of class as he saw the students looking up at him excitedly. He smiled despite himself. He had missed teaching, and seeing the eager faces in front of him. His heart became slightly heavy, however, when he saw one face avoiding his gaze.

"Good morning, class. Welcome to your seventh year of Defense Against the Dark Arts. I am Professor Lupin, but I believe I know most of you," he said lightly, smiling as Pavarti and Lavender giggled.

"Today, we're going to talk a bit about hexes and blocking spells. Now, I know your training in this has been uneven, but can any of you tell me what the most commonly used dueling hex is?"

He has expected Hermione's hand to fly straight up in the air, considering she had been the one to suggest talking about dueling spells their first lesson. She was, however, looking fixedly at her desk, both hands at her sides. A few other tentative hands had gone up, however, so he looked around at the other students.

"Yes, Miss Patil, isn't it?" he said to Pavarti, who flushed pink.

"Sir, the stunning spell is the most common," she said.

"Excellent! And can anyone tell me what the incantation is for the stunning spell?"

A few more hands went up, none of them Hermione's.

"Yes, Mr. Longbottom?"

"The incantation is _Stupefy_, sir."

"Fantastic. Five points to Gryffindor. Now, I'd like to show you a very simple blocking curse that is most effective against the stunning spell. Miss Granger, if you could join me?"

Reluctantly, Hermione stood and walked to the front of the class, still not looking directly at him. She was twirling her wand absently between her fingers, and Remus had to close his eyes for a moment in order not to concentrate on the beauty of her hands.

"Miss Granger, if you please?" he said kindly.

He lifted his wand, ready, and she looked at him for a moment before flicking her wand quickly and shouting "_Stupefy!_" Gold sparks jetted from her wand.

Remus, not anticipating the force with which she would hex him, quickly shouted "_Protego!_" and the spell ricochet off hers, landing at the back of the classroom and nearly missing Malfoy's head. Malfoy scowled at Remus as the Gryffindors sniggered.

"Very good, Miss Granger, thank you," he said, slightly breathless. "Another five points to Gryffindor."

She barely acknowledged him as she walked back to her seat, and he took a deep breath before turning with a smile to the class.

"I'd like you to turn to page twenty-eight in your books and pick one of the benign dueling spells. Then I want you to get into pairs and practice using the blocking charm. I know you are all familiar with the benign spells, and if I see anyone using anything else," He looked pointedly at Malfoy, who smirked. "I will deduct fifty house points. Do you understand?"

There was a murmur of consensus among the class, the Slytherins slightly more reluctant.

"Good. Miss Granger, if I could trouble you again, please?"

Hermione slowly stood again, and walked up to the front of the class. Once everyone had found a partner, Remus conjured the desks to the sides of the room, giving each other pairs enough space. His eye ever watchful for spells gone wrong, he turned to the sulking young woman.

"Hermione, you've got to stop this," he said quietly.

She looked at him coolly.

"Stop what, professor?"

"Well…" He grasped for the right words but decided that the firmer he was with her, the better. "Stop acting like a child."

Her eyes flashed angrily.

"I apologize, _professor_. I was unaware that I was acting like a child."

"Look, I'm sorry about…well…everything," he said, giving Malfoy a long glare as he saw the young student glancing mutinously at Harry's back. Malfoy, thinking better of it, turned back to Crabbe and startled him with a well-placed engorgement charm. Goyle sniggered as Crabbe's nose began to grow, and Remus sighed, whispering "_Diminuendo!_" and watching Crabbe's nose shrink back to normal.

"Are you sorry about avoiding me, or about almost kissing me?" Hermione asked, and Remus quickly cast around to make sure the students closest to them hadn't heard.

"Perhaps we should talk about this after class," he said.

"Why? We'd be alone together and I know how much that idea repulses you."

Hermione couldn't help feeling extremely angry, and had it been any other teacher, she knew that her attitude would have cost a few house points, if not a detention. But she knew that Lupin was too kind, too understanding to use his professorial power with her. He just sighed.

"Please stay after class. We do need to finish this discussion."

And with that, he went over to Malfoy, who was laughing as he held Goyle in the air with a levitation spell.

Hermione walked back over to Harry and Ron, who were fooling around because they both had mastered most of the benign spells and the blocking spell their fifth year. They were taking turns lifting each other into the air with the levitation spell, but Harry, who had been holding up a laughing Ron, who was attempting to do the breaststroke midair, quickly let Ron down as Hermione approached.

"He wants to talk after class," she said sullenly as they looked at her expectantly.

"Well…that's good, right?" Harry asked. "He wants to straighten it out."

"Straighten what out?" Ron asked.

"Nothing, don't worry about it," Hermione said, before aiming her wand at Ron and saying "_Levicorpus!_"

Ron was raised back in the air, and even Hermione had to giggle as he attempted to do the backstroke.

The rest of the class went on smoothly, with people trying more and more complex spells. Neville, of course, who had brandished his wand a bit too furiously while trying to do an engorgement charm, found his wand flying out of his hand, hitting Dean Thomas squarely on the forehead. A pimple the size of a galleon started to grow and the Slytherins were on the floor howling with laughter before Lupin had been able to reduce it enough to send him to Madame Pomfrey.

"Alright, I think that's enough for today. If you please, practice that blocking spell, as I will be quizzing random people on it next class," he said, a smile to Harry and Ron, who strongly suspected that most of the people who were going to get "quizzed" would be Slytherins.

Hermione waited as the class filed out before looking pointedly at her watch. Lupin sighed, walking over to her.

"Hermione, there's something you need to understand…" he started, but she brushed it away.

"I'm sure I could make all of the arguments for you, professor," she said shortly. "But the most disappointing thing about all this is that we couldn't talk about it before you were safely here at Hogwarts where you knew nothing could happen."

He blinked.

"What do you mean, where nothing could happen? What, may I ask, did you expect to happen?"

She opened her mouth, but closed it again, pursing her lips as she seethed.

"Hermione, I don't deny that you are a wonderful young woman," Remus said kindly. "And any young man would be very lucky to have you in his life. But…"

He was unsure how to proceed. He was feeling very flushed and, though he couldn't believe it was possible, very aroused by her stubbornly sulky face. Her pout made her full pink lips stand out even more, and the anger in her eyes made the hazel flash with a womanly rage that made his heart flip.

"Why do I feel like you're breaking up with me?" she asked, trying to be as cold as possible but finding it difficult as he shuffled restlessly in front of her. She couldn't help but find it adorable. "I was unaware that we were even seeing each other, considering the last time we spoke you unceremoniously leapt to the other side of the room."

"I…erm…I didn't want you to get the wrong idea…"

"I don't think you have to worry about that, _professor_."

"Hermione…"

"Are we finished?" she asked, her eyes flashing again.

He gritted his teeth, trying to ignore the desire that was starting to course through his veins, making his heart pound with every passing second.

"No," he said. "We cannot continue like this. Just say what you want to say and let's just have it out, because this tension will not go undetected for long."

"Alright," she said, squaring her shoulders. "I was upset that night. I was vulnerable. There was a moment when I thought we could share something, but you proved that it was fleeting and forgetful, and I'm inclined to forget the whole thing. I am not attracted to you, I never was, and you don't have to worry because after seeing how easily I repel you, I don't think I ever will be. I hope, however, that this doesn't affect our friendship."

Before Remus could respond, the wolf in him burst forth.

"Liar," he said.

She blinked. His voice was deeper, and it was gruff. There was an aggression to his face that she hadn't seen before, and she realized how close it was to the next full moon. Mooney was rearing his furry head, and she didn't know what was wrong with her, but the idea that Lupin had the capacity for aggression and control made her knees slightly weak.

"Wha…what?" she whispered.

"You're lying," he said, and Remus knew that the wolf had taken over. "You wanted me as much as I wanted you. I could smell the desire on you."

"Remus…" she said, but he had taken a menacing step towards her.

"Don't play with fire, Miss Granger," he said. "Because someday I might not be able to control my actions as easily."

Hermione could see the battle between Remus and Mooney in his eyes, and as Mooney went to take another step towards her, Remus willed him back. The effect was him stumbling back over his robes and falling against his desk.

Hermione ran to him.

"Remus," she said breathlessly. "Are you alright?"

"Please, Hermione," he said, his voice back to it's normal baritone, though slightly shaken. "Please…I'm not myself when I'm around you. You have to understand that."

"I…"

"It's honestly not you. I promise it's not you."

"Professor? Hermione?"

Hermione looked over her shoulder to see Harry and Ron looking at them worriedly. Apparently, they had been waiting in the hall for her to come out, and had probably heard Remus fall. Undoubtedly worried that Hermione had done something to their favorite professor, they rushed to the classroom door to make sure everything was ok.

"It's alright, boys. I just tripped," Remus called, though a little weak. Hermione helped him back up, and he looked at her, trying to keep his affection for her out of his face.

"Please understand, Hermione," he whispered.

"I…I do, Remus. I'm sorry."

"Are we alright?"

"Ye…Yes. I think so. I'll see you in class, sir."

He smiled slightly, and nodded. She turned quickly, and bolted towards the door.

"Bloody hell…what happened?" Ron asked, wide-eyed.

"Nothing. He tripped," she said curtly.

Harry sighed.

"Either you tell Ron what happened at Sirius's house, or I do, but either way he has to know," he said firmly.

Grudgingly, Hermione repeated the story to Ron. He arched an eyebrow mischievously.

"Well," he said with a smirk. "Looks like you're all set then, doesn't it?"

"It's not that easy, Ronald," she said, exasperated, and told them what had gone on in the classroom.

Harry frowned slightly.

"If Mooney is effecting Remus so much, why doesn't he take his Wolfsbane potion?" he asked.

"Because it only helps him when he transitions. Right now, he's having problems with his id."

"I'm sorry. His what?" Ron asked, somewhat amused.

"It's a Muggle term. It means his subconscious. Mooney represents everything primal about him. His condition heightens some of his rawer instincts," she explained.

A smile still played on Ron's face.

"So…" he said. "If he really fancies a girl…"

Harry rolled his eyes.

"Then Mooney would want him to pounce on her as quickly as possible, yes," he finished.

Hermione sighed.

"That's the general gist of it. Anyway, as long as we're not alone together, he'll be fine."

Ron smirk widened.

"So if you're alone together," he reasoned. "Then maybe…"

"Oh, Ronald, grow up!" Hermione said, and walked ahead of them to lunch.


	5. Chapter 5: Dreams

**Chapter Five: Dreams**

The next few weeks passed as pleasantly as they could for Remus. Hermione was at least nice to him again, though he noted that she kept her distance. He had been slightly taken aback when she had blurted out her anger during their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class, and he had been even more amazed when the anger wasn't from his attempt to kiss her, but the fact that he hadn't gone through with it.

Curiously, though, she was spending more and more time as far as possible from him. When she came to meals (which wasn't nearly as often as it should have been) she sat at the far end of the Gryffindor table, farthest from the teachers table, and nearly always had her nose in a book. She would eat quickly and then take off, usually to the library, but sometimes up to the Gryffindor common room. Remus didn't know why the distance bothered him almost as much as the closeness had.

Mooney wasn't giving up easily either, which made Defense Against the Dark Arts classes particularly difficult if Hermione came in a good mood. His inner wolf would leap at her smiles and laughs, wanting to hurl himself forward onto those full, parted lips. It was almost as bad if she came in a bad mood, though, because then Mooney was up for a chase, as she rarely made eye contact with him when she was in a bad mood.

All in all, though, Remus found the routine of the castle to be a nice change from the hazy summer he had spent with the Order. He was slightly frustrated when he received owls from Kingsley and Tonks, both of whom were extremely vague about their missions, because he was sure were having an exciting time dueling Death Eaters and slaying dark creatures, but he also knew that Dumbledore had asked him to come back for a reason, and that was to make sure that nothing happened to the students. _That_ was his mission and he took it as seriously as he could.

On particularly bad-weathered weekends, he invited the golden trio to his office for tea. He regaled them with stories of his Marauder days, his heart leaping every time Hermione smiled or laughed. He also enjoyed time with Harry, who reminded him so much of James that he sometimes forgot himself. He knew it amused Harry to no end when he started a sentence with "James, remember when…?"

His nights were when he had the most trouble. He would have given a month of transitions for every dirty dream he had about Hermione. He would wake up sweating, his member throbbing at attention. Some days he could will it away, but there were some days, mostly when a full moon was approaching, when he had to gratify himself, quietly howling as he thought of Hermione and those full, pink lips wrapped around him.

He had woken up with such a dream early one Saturday morning, clinging to the last vestiges of a dream of Hermione bouncing luxuriously atop him, back arched, lips parted in a soft moan. Remus sat up with a jerk, covered in sweat, and looked around his room, registering the peeking dawn. He lay back down, trying to ignore the tent at his hipline. Stepping out of bed, he hoped that the cold flagstone beneath him would cause his problem to disappear.

He would have felt foolish normally, walking around the room with a bulge in his pajamas, but he had gotten so used to it by now that it seemed almost routine. Stretching out his long limbs, he walked over to his tea tray, which sat by the small window. Twirling his wand, the teapot jumped off the tray and went to the small basin, filling itself with water. Glancing out of the window, Remus had to blink twice as he saw movement. Someone was running around the lake.

Two seconds later the teapot crashed to the floor, as Remus had focused his full attention on the moving body. It was Hermione. But it wasn't Hermione the way he had ever seen her before. Her hair was up, which was perhaps the only usual thing about her appearance, but she wore what he assumed were Muggle exercise clothes.

In the waning warm weather, she had forgone a t-shirt, and wore a sports bra, showing off a toned stomach, and pants that were made of a material that Remus had never seen before. They clung to her hips, thighs, and most obviously, her backside. Her face was flushed, but she had a determined, focused look about her, as though she was studying very hard for a test. Her body moved gracefully, and if he thought he had been at full mast before, it was nothing compared to the throbbing muscle that was now poking the castle wall.

"Dear God," he whispered, running a hand over his chest absently. His skin tickled, and Mooney howled for more, more sensation, more ecstasy.

He gave in. Clasping the offending muscle in hand, he slowly started to pleasure himself, not taking his eyes off the heaving breasts, the flushed cheeks, and the determined face of the oblivious witch below him. Gripping the edge of the window as he started to thrust his hips into his own hand, a thought crossed his mind at how _wrong_ this was, at how utterly _voyeuristic_, and how much of a dirty old man it made him.

The last thought caused him to buck, his abdomen tightening and the muscles in his body tensing as he spilled his seed. The pleasure was greater than any other self-gratifying moment in his life. He clung to the window ledge, pressing his face against the cool castle wall, trembling slightly as he bit his bottom lip.

This was new.

He started over towards the basin to clean himself up and cursed as he slid slightly on the water that had leaked out of the broken teapot. Mumbling "_Reparo!_" the teapot whizzed back into one piece and settled back on the tea tray. Another charm, "_Aguaspurgare!_" cleaned up the water, and he continued to the basin.

After charming away the remnants of his lust, he splashed some water onto his face. Looking into the glass that hung above the basin, he examined himself closely. It had been a long while since he had actually looked at himself thoroughly in a mirror. He seemed younger, less haggard, and his face had filled out from the gaunt, almost skeletal look he had had at the beginning of term.

Anyone who didn't know him well could have attributed these changes to the Hogwarts lifestyle: the three meals a day, the full night sleep, and the security of transitioning under the careful eye of Dumbledore. But Remus knew that these were not the only factors to his sudden health.

The last time he had seen this side of himself, he had caught a glimpse of his reflection in a clear, blue pool in the German Alps. He had spend almost six months there, living in the mountains, free from the prying eyes of people, and only venturing into town when in need of food or clothing. For six glorious months, he had lived by his baser instincts. He had been seeing the daughter of a Muggle farmer, and during the summer months they had made love in the haystacks in the fields and ate fresh strawberries.

He hadn't known, at the time, that letting Mooney out a little more often, giving in to his physical pleasure more consistently, would cause his health to improve. But when he had returned from the Alps almost seventeen years ago to join the fight with his friends against Voldemort, his health started to fade again. The control he had to exert not to give into the violent tendencies of his inner wolf, not to grasp any woman he chose when the heat of battle still pounded in his veins after a particularly difficult duel or assignment, had worn him down to the shadow of a man he became in the last days of Lily and James Potter.

Lily had noticed it, of course. She had worried about him, and had asked Sirius to look in on him from time to time once she, James, and baby Harry had gone into hiding. Sirius, still the carefree and charming wizard, took this to mean dragging Remus out of his house, into the night and into the arms of willing witches who wanted to hear about the heroes who fought the darkness that consumed them.

Remus had to fight against his urges extra hard those nights, and often went home alone for fear of hurting one of those willing women with the intensity of his lust.

Now, giving into Mooney every other night through his dreams and self-gratification, he was becoming much healthier. He wryly admired the irony of it all – health through continuous sexual pleasure. The battle was going to be explaining it to Dumbledore, whose sharp eye would eventually catch the transformation. The last time he came to Hogwarts, he had no lustful urges towards one of the school's star students, and so his health did not improve as drastically. Dumbledore knew this, so it was only a matter of time before he started to wonder.

Ignoring the idea of a quiet tea in his rooms, he dressed and went down to breakfast. It was still early, so there weren't many students sitting at the four long tables as he entered the Great Hall. Hermione, however, was one of the few that were there, just showered and wearing simple jeans and t-shirt, her nose in what appeared to be _Plants of the Highland Lochs_. Remus wondered briefly if Professor Sprout was dealing with magical water plants, as it seemed below the efforts of a seventh year.

"Good morning, Hermione," he said, stopping next to her and hoping she couldn't see the blush on his cheeks.

She looked up, and gave a small smile.

"Good morning, professor."

"What brings you to breakfast so early?"

"Oh…couldn't sleep. Difficult dreams."

He wondered why she referred to her dreams as 'difficult,' as that wasn't a term usually associated with dreams. She seemed to sense his thought, and blushed slightly, looking away. Realizing what 'difficult' meant, his blush deepened, noting that perhaps he, like her, should channel his 'difficult' dreams into a physical activity. Thinking of his actions that morning, however, he didn't know if running would have been the best answer at the time.

"Um…listen. Would you, Harry, and Ron like to gave lunch with me? The weather seems very fair and we can take a picnic to the lake," he suggested.

She smiled again.

"I'll ask them when they wake up."

He smiled.

"They'll probably wake up just in time for lunch," he said jokingly.

She giggled.

"Those boys do like their sleep." She glanced briefly into his eyes, which made his heart do something of a somersault, before looking away. "We'll drop by your office when they wake up. I'm sure they'd like a picnic outside. They'll probably bring their brooms and zoom around."

He nodded and she went back to her book as he made his way up to the teacher's table. Most of the teachers were there, including, to Remus's slight annoyance, Professor Snape.

"Remus," the man said coldly as Remus sat between him and Dumbledore.

"Severus," Remus replied, helping himself to bacon and eggs.

"How are you this morning, Remus?" Dumbledore asked kindly, slightly amused as Remus dug voraciously into his breakfast.

"Very good, thank you, professor," Remus replied, trying to swallow his mouthful before responding. As much as he respected Dumbledore, he did get the odd feeling of being a student again when he was around him.

"Remus, I believe you've been out of school long enough that on informal occasions like these, you may call me Albus," Dumbledore said, amusement twinkling in his bright blue eyes.

Remus ignored Snape's scowl.

"I received a very interesting owl this morning, Remus, from our mutual furry friend," Dumbledore continued, his tone lowered so only the two Order members in their immediate vicinity, Snape and McGonagall, could overhear them. "If you wouldn't mind, I would like to share it with you. Do you mind coming to my office after breakfast?"

"Not at all, prof…Albus," Remus replied. Pinking slightly, he added "Sir."

After breakfast, Remus walked silently with Dumbledore to the winged statue that sat in front of Dumbledore's office.

"Licorice snaps," Dumbledore said mildly, and the statue sprang to life, allowing the two men to step onto the revolving staircase. Walking through the heavy oak door, Remus stood awkwardly in front of the headmaster's desk as Dumbledore pulled out a piece of parchment.

"I've had Sirius looking over the history of the Order, specifically into the numbers we had when we were most effective versus the numbers we have now. As we are heading towards another full-scale battle against the dark forces, I want to make sure that the Order has enough trained members in time. He seems to think that with the recent induction of Lee Jordan and Fred and George Weasley, we'll only need three or four new recruits. I know better, so I put together a list of all the students who received 'Exceeds Expectations' or higher on their O.W.L.s, and are currently in your N.E.W.T. classes. I was hoping you could come up with a list of eight or nine possibilities."

Remus frowned slightly.

"Eight or nine possibilities? For Order recruits?" he asked.

"Of course."

"But…don't you think…I mean, straight out of Hogwarts…"

"Fred, George, and Lee have all been extremely effective so far," Dumbledore said. "I have highlighted four or five students who I am certain you will find most able to perform the duties required of an Order member."

Remus scanned the list.

_Harry Potter_ (Harry's name was highlighted)

_Ronald Weasley_ (Ron's name was also highlighted)

_Hermione Granger_ (Remus cringed, as Hermione's name was underlined as well as highlighted)

_Dean Thomas_

_Seamus Finnegan_

_Neville Longbottom_

_Pavarti Patil_

_Lavender Brown_

_Luna Lovegood_

The list continued, but Remus was certain that he would be expected to ignore the Slytherin names that were toward the bottom. For the most part, thought, the list looked similar to the parchment Harry had showed him for Dumbledore's Army, the secret society Harry had built within Hogwarts his fifth year.

"Sir, even if these students were adequately prepared academically, they don't have the technical knowledge or experience needed to…"

"That's why I'm counting on you, Remus, to set up times with each student to work with them individually. I know it will be difficult, as no student, I am sure, will want extra lessons on their plate, with the possible exception of Miss Granger."

Remus held his tongue, but highly doubted Hermione would be as keen as Dumbledore thought she would.

"I can easily tell you that every student on this list is abysmally under qualified with the exception of Harry, Ron, and Hermione. And I doubt that even they could handle some of what we've had to deal with. Especially Harry. If he has to deal with dementors one more time…"

"I appreciate your opinion, Remus, but unfortunately, we can no longer worry about protecting Harry and his friends. They are all seventeen now, and have proven themselves quite capable of handling themselves. There is a larger picture at stake."

Remus sighed, pocketing the list. Looking back at the Dumbledore to see if there was anything else, he noted Dumbledore looking at him contemplatively.

"You seem changed, Remus," he said after a moment. "Have you been sleeping well?"

Remus hoped Dumbledore wouldn't notice the blush that appeared on his cheeks.

"As well as can be expected, in a drafty old castle," he said, trying to make light of it.

Dumbledore, however, continued to look at him.

"Dreams are funny things," he said. "They can carry or curse a man. I fear that you are burdened by your dreams, Remus. You should know…"

Dumbledore paused, and Remus had a sneaking suspicion that Dumbledore knew _exactly_ what Remus was dreaming about.

"I don't want you thinking that you're not good enough to have what you desire, Remus," the elderly wizard said to him. "And while there are many obstacles in our paths these days, the easiest thing to search for is that which is looking to be found." He smiled slightly. "I think you will find Miss Granger infinitely more capable and mature than you assume, providing," he continued, interrupting the protests Remus was about to interject. "That you, of course, stick to the strictest rules of decorum and decency _while within these walls_."

If Remus wasn't scandalized enough, he was pretty sure the headmaster winked at him.

"Hogsmeade," Dumbledore said airily as Remus turned to leave. "Is, of course, out of my jurisdiction. And I'm sure you both know how to get there…discreetly."

Remus didn't say a word as he stepped onto the revolving staircase, descending down to the hallway. He didn't want to think of how Dumbledore knew about his dreams. He should have realized, however, that Dumbledore _would_ know. Dumbledore _always_ knew.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were waiting outside of his office when he returned. He had almost forgotten about the promised picnic.

"Hello, professor," Harry said with a large smile on his face. "Hermione told us about lunch. Ron and I went down to the kitchens and Dobby packed us up a proverbial feast. We could eat for days. You ready to go?"

The eagerness in his eyes made Remus smile.

"Um…yes. Let me just pop into my office for a minute. Why don't you go on, and I'll catch up? There's something important I need to speak to all three of you about."

They all nodded and headed down the hallway towards the marble staircase that led to the Great Hall, chatting loudly. Remus walked to his desk, taking Dumbledore's piece of parchment out of his pocket. Placing it on his desk, he looked at Hermione's name.

Trying not to think about the horrors that would be in store for his favorite students, he shoved the parchment into a drawer, and strode out of his office. He'd let them have one more day of peace.


	6. Chapter 6: Fred and George's Request

A/N: My quill decided to go in an entirely different direction than originally intended, so please keep an eye on the summary, as it has been changed slightly. Thanks to my wonderful "comma Nazi", A.T. Anyway, thank you for the lovely reviews, and please keep them coming!

**Chapter Six: Fred and George's Request**

Dumbledore had been mistaken at the level of difficulty of convincing the nine students to take time out of their busy schedules to train for the Order. With the possible exception of Hermione, all the Gryffindors and Luna were quite eager to start training. Remus understood Hermione's hesitation, but once Dumbledore had called her into his office, she seemed to be much more agreeable to the idea.

Remus didn't like to think about what Dumbledore had said to her.

Even though the first defense lesson with Hermione had been something of a disaster, (Lupin had accidentally set fire to her robes while dueling when he became distracted by the flushed look on her face) Hermione, Ron, and Harry enjoyed their lessons immensely. They were infinitely more challenging than anything else they had done at Hogwarts in terms of Defense Against the Dark Arts, and so they left each lesson with a strong sense of accomplishment. Even Hermione had to admit that her lessons with Lupin were so challenging, that sometimes they forgot their mutual attraction and were able to duel like real equals.

The rest of the school, who had inevitably found out about the lessons even though they weren't supposed to know, were all eager to hear about the progress their classmates were making. The chatter got to such a distracting level during one particularly difficult Transfiguration class that Professor McGonagall was forced to remove points from two Huffelpuff girls, a fact that surprised most as Huffelpuffs rarely got into trouble.

Dumbledore seemed to realize, whether by his own accord or by the other professors complaining about lack of focus in their classes, that something needed to be done to appease the buzzing population. Therefore, a week before Halloween, Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked into the Gryffindor common room to see everyone huddled around the announcement board. Pushing his way through unceremoniously, Ron read the new piece of parchment and then returned wide-eyed to Harry and Hermione.

"I don't know what Dumbledore thinks he's playing at," he said quietly, leading the other two to a quiet table. "But apparently there's going to be another ball at Hogwarts."

"Another _what_?" Harry asked, disbelieving. He remembered the Yule Ball, which had been the last ball he had attended at Hogwarts, and he remembered how painful the whole night had been. Then again, he had been three years younger, in love with a completely different witch, and too immature to appreciate the fact that he and Ron had gone to the ball with two of the best looking girls in their year.

"They're having another ball. In two week's time. On some absurd holiday I've never heard of before. Guy Folks Day, or something."

"Guy _Fawkes_ Day, Ronald," Hermione corrected. "It's a Muggle holiday. A bit cheeky of Dumbledore, really. Guy Fawkes Day represents the day a man named Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Muggle Houses of Parliament in London. I suppose Dumbledore wants us to ready ourselves for a political coup."

"That's not all," Ron said, getting a bit more anxious. "There's going to be a…defense demonstration before the ball starts. Four staged duels, it says, with members of the Order of the Phoenix and the Hogwarts recruits."

"_What_?!" Hermione cried, and a few people looked her way curiously. She lowered her voice. "I think Dumbledore's gone off the deep end. Nobody's supposed to know about…"

"Oh Hermione," Harry said exasperatedly. She knew as well as anyone that things that were supposed to remain secret at Hogwarts never did. "Dumbledore must know that the students are getting curious about what we do in our lessons with Lupin. He probably did this so they could stop disrupting regular lessons with their questions. But this whole ball thing…" He shuddered. "I'm really glad I have Ginny now, because I couldn't imagine having to ask someone again."

"Yeah…there're so many choices…" Ron said absently, looking around the common room and completely misunderstanding Harry's meaning.

As if on cue, Ginny skipped over to join them, sitting on her boyfriend's lap. Ron made a face.

"Ginny, please. You're in mixed company," he said, looking slightly disgusted.

She gave him a very haughty look.

"Ronald, I've said nothing when I've caught you snogging in every corner of the castle with different witches, so you cannot say anything to me about sitting on Harry's lap," she said matter-of-factly, placing a kiss on Harry's lips as if to settle the matter.

"So, I hear there's going to be a ball in two weeks' time," she continued, changing the subject. "Who from your harem have you decided to take, Ron?" she added as Harry wrapped his arms around her waist affectionately.

"Dunno," Ron said, still looking. "Hermione, who do you think you'll go with?"

Hermione looked up, and at once she saw Dean, Seamus, Neville, and several fifth and sixth year boys looking at her. Blushing slightly, she looked away.

"I don't know. I really haven't had a chance to think…"

"Hang on a tick," Ron interrupted, remembering something and digging into his trouser pocket. "I almost forgot about this." He handed Hermione a letter, it's corners so bent that it looked like it had been in his pocket for several days. "Fred and George sent that along with a new stock of their products. Dunno why they didn't just send it to you separate. Probably too cheap to spring for two owls. Anyway, there you go."

"Ron," Ginny said wearily. "You got that package almost a week ago!"

"Yeah, well, I forgot. Never happen to you, eh?" he asked irritably before looking over at Lavender and Pavarti, both of whom seemed to be arguing about something in the corner.

Ron stood up.

"Well, wish me luck," he said with a wink before walking over to the two girls.

"Go on, Hermione, open it," Ginny said as Hermione looked at the letter suspiciously. "Trust me, if they've sent you anything foul, they know they'll have to deal with Harry, so I don't think it's anything horrible."

Opening the letter, she unfolded it before smiling to herself. They had written it in rhyme.

"Read it," Ginny said eagerly.

Hermione cleared her throat.

"_Hermione Granger, our favorite witch,_

_Whose charms have earned her O.W.L.s,_

_Please accept our humble poem_

_And ignore the way it howls._

_We know you have a ball ahead,_

_At Hogwarts, wizards are aplenty,_

_We humbly ask, however, dear,_

_To refuse the others gently._

_For we two wizards, proud and true,_

_Modestly beseech thee_

_To acknowledge our invitation now,_

_From Fred and George Weasley._"

Harry sniggered as Ginny smiled.

"Well, I suppose they knew about it awhile back, since Dumbledore's planning a demonstration with Order members," she said, shooting her boyfriend a look. "Mind you, I never took them to be the poem-writing sort."

"I think we can safely say that they are _not_ the poem-writing sort," Harry said, chuckling.

Hermione, who had re-folded the letter, looked thoughtful.

"Do they _both_ want to go with me?" she finally asked.

"It looks that way."

"But…I mean…don't you think it might have been prudent for them to…oh, I don't know…it's going to be awfully weird walking in with _both_ of them."

"Well, what do you want them to do? Flip a coin?" Harry asked. "You know they've both fancied you."

"Yeah, but I never thought…I mean…not for _real_…"

"Well…I know they think you're attractive…I've heard them talking about it," Ginny reasoned. "And maybe it's not going to be true love, Hermione, but there _is_ something to be said about a casual shag."

Harry coughed.

"Excuse me?" he asked. "How would _you_ know about a casual shag?"

Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Oh, honestly, Harry," she said, but didn't continue.

*SLAP!*

All three spun around to see Ron holding his cheek as Lavender, bright red, glared at him hatefully.

*SLAP!*

Pavarti had joined her friend, slapping Ron's other cheek. The dumbstruck wizard watched hopelessly as the two girls flounced up the stairs to the girls' dormitory. Nursing his face, he walked glumly back to the table.

"Well, looks like it's back to the old drawing board," he said with a sigh as he sat.

"What was that?" Hermione asked.

"Well…" He blushed slightly. "It seems I _might_ have failed to mention to the girls that I gave them both the same necklace. Silly, really. They seemed to think it really meant something."

Harry sighed, shaking his head with a slight smile at how clueless his best friend sometimes was with girls.

"Anyway, did I miss anything interesting?" he added.

"Hermione got invited to the ball by Fred and George," Ginny said.

"What? How did they know?"

"They're Order members, aren't they? Dumbledore probably told them ages ago," Harry replied.

"Well…you're not going with them, are you Hermione?" Ron asked.

Hermione frowned.

"Why not?"

"Well…" He lowered his voice. "What about Lupin?"

"What about him?"

"Don't you think he'll be…er…a bit confused?"

"Confused about what?"

Ron rolled his eyes.

"About you, you daft cow."

Hermione crossed her arms.

"If you're suggesting that I wait for Lupin to ask be to the ball, I fear that I would be waiting for a very long time," she said stoutly.

"Well, of course he can't ask you _directly_," Ron said. "But…I figured…since you're alone together in your lessons and there haven't been any mishaps…"

"Except that unfortunate evening involving my robes catching on fire, you mean?" Hermione asked.

"I think what Ron's _trying_ to say," Ginny said. "Is that if you walked into the ball with Fred and George on your arms, Lupin might think you don't like him anymore. That line of thinking is, of course, bollocks," she continued, shooting a withering look to her older brother, "as Lupin does not have the maturity level of an eleven-year-old boy."

"Well…I'm just saying…" Ron muttered, but was back to glancing around the room for a possible date to the ball.

"To be honest, I think it might be a good idea," Harry said, taking the letter from Hermione and unfolding it again, trying to hold back another laugh. "After all, if Lupin isn't going to make a move, he certainly can't expect you to go off men completely."

"And this might be the motivation he needs to see that you are, in fact, a perfectly desirable young woman," Ginny added, smiling warmly at her friend.

Hermione was torn between amusement at her two friends' good intentions and frustration at their maddening habit of interfering. Finally, she just smiled.

"Ginny, lend me a quill, will you?" she asked, pulling a piece of parchment out from under Ron's elbow.

"Please don't tell me you're going to write it in verse," Harry said.

Hermione chuckled.

"No. I'll keep it short, and to the point. If they know me at all, they'd be expecting it."

She wrote her response.

_Dear Fred and George,_

_Sounds lovely. I accept. We'll work out details later._

_Hermione_

"Awfully impersonal, don't you think?" Ron said, reading over her shoulder.

"What would you have said?" she asked.

"I don't think what he would have said would be half as polite," Ginny interrupted as Ron started to grin broadly. "Hermione, why don't you use Hedwig? She'll get there faster than the school owls."

Harry looked at her.

"Since when are you volunteering things that aren't rightfully yours?" he asked, meaning to be playful but having it come out a lot harsher than intended. "First telling Hermione that Fred and George would have to deal with _me_ if they had sent something horrible to her, and then offering my owl…did we get married and I not know about it?"

Ginny bristled.

"Well…if you don't want her using Hedwig, she doesn't have to," Ginny said coolly, and walked up to the girls' dormitories.

"Harry," Hermione said in a maternally-disapproving way. "You two have been going out for almost seven months now, and you've both liked each other for ages. Don't you think you can let her in just a little bit now? She's not expecting you to propose to her tomorrow, but she _is_ your girlfriend."

"I never said she wasn't," Harry said defensively.

"Yes, but recently it seems like the only things you really share with her are sex and…well…my problems. I mean, I know more intimate things about you than she does. Perhaps you shouldn't be so quick to shut her out."

"This coming from the person who still hasn't admitted anything to her supposed object of obsession?" Harry said, his pride slightly wounded as he knew Hermione's words were true.

Hermione's anger flared slightly.

"He's not an obsession, and unlike you and Ginny, there are a few more obstacles and complications involving my situation," she said. Then she grabbed the letter she had written to Fred and George. "I think I will take Hedwig. She hasn't had anything to do for weeks. This will give her something to occupy her time."

She stormed across the common room, through the portrait hole, and out of sight. Ron's eyes, which had been fixed on a good-looking blonde fifth year who was giggling with her friends by the fire, turned back to Harry.

"Girls, eh?" he said with a hopeless shrug to his friend. "Well, wish me luck again. I'm going to see if Madeline Daniels fancies a spin 'round the proverbial dance floor."

Ron winked at Harry before sauntering over to the girls. Harry, unable to stand another fit of female giggles, hurriedly went up to the boys' dormitory to figure out a way to apologize to Ginny without resorting to groveling.


	7. Chapter 7: A Sirius Proposal

**Chapter Seven: A Sirius Proposal**

Since the Hogwarts recruits only had two weeks to prepare for their staged duel, Dumbledore decided it would be a good idea to bring in reinforcements. Therefore, within a few days of the general announcement, some of the other Order members arrived to help Lupin prepare the students and to choreograph the four duels that were going to be taking place before the Guy Fawkes Ball.

As expected, the six other students were nowhere near the level Harry, Ron, and Hermione had achieved. Dumbledore therefore decided it would be prudent to split the six students into two groups of three to take on two Order members. Neville, Pavarti, and Luna would be taking on Moody and Tonks. Harry and Ron had thought this wise, considering that Neville had been complaining about how horrible he was during his lessons, and having Moody involved in Neville's duel would ensure that no one was accidentally injured.

Dean, Seamus, and Lavender would be dueling Kingsley and Bill Weasley, a fact that Lavender found extremely unfair once she learned that Ron and Hermione would be dueling Lupin and Sirius.

"Honestly," she complained to the rest of them in the common room after her lesson. "You'd think they'd separate the good-looking, single ones out instead of having them both in the same duel."

Ron scoffed. "Just wait 'til Hermione and I are done with them. They won't seem too handsome then."

Lavender threw Ron a very dirty look. She and Pavarti were still not on speaking terms with him and since he had asked Madeline Daniels to the ball, they were particularly upset with him.

"I would take both Kingsley and Bill versus having to deal with Snape on my own," Harry mumbled grimly.

Dumbledore, in his infinite wisdom yet unfailing cheek, had decided to make Harry's duel the final one of the demonstration. To make matters worse, Dumbledore had assigned Snape as Harry's dueling partner. And from the look of complete exhaustion on Harry's face after his first lesson with Snape, it was clear that the Potions master was not going to make the task easy for Harry, especially since Dumbledore insisted that Harry was the one who was supposed to win the duel.

"Well, we start tonight," Ron said, nodding his head to Hermione. "Sirius arrived just after dinner. I saw him as we were coming up to the tower."

"Do you want to come and say 'hello' before your lesson?" Hermione asked her best friend, knowing that seeing Sirius might cheer him up enough to face Snape.

"No," Harry said resignedly. "There isn't enough time. Last thing I need is Snape in an even fouler mood because I showed up late."

The three of them stood and walked out of the common room, ignoring the excited murmurs behind them. They should have been used to it by now, but with every new batch of first years that came through Hogwarts's doors, the looks and whispers at Harry and his scar followed.

Ron and Hermione said good-bye to Harry in the Entrance Hall as he split up with them to go down to the dungeons. Making their way up to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, Ron started reciting all the hexes he was going to try on Lupin.

"He's been a real thickhead about you," he said matter-of-factly to Hermione. "Maybe I'll get him with a Jelly-Legs Jinx, just for fun."

"Oh Ron," Hermione said with an exasperated sigh, but smiled all the same at her friend's intentions.

As they headed down the hall, they heard voices speaking loudly. They slowed, coming to a stop in front of the classroom. The door was slightly ajar, and Ron and Hermione could hear Lupin and Sirius arguing.

"No, Sirius, you are _not_ going to try that spell on her," Lupin was saying, sounding very frustrated.

"C'mon Mooney. Dumbledore said we could use it."

"There's a reason why it's called an Unforgivable Curse, Sirius," Lupin said. "See reason, will you? She's not ready. You'll have her doing all sorts of embarrassing things and I won't stand for it."

"I won't," Sirius said indignantly. "The worst I'll do is march her up to you and have her give you a big kiss. And it's not exactly like you wouldn't want it to happen, eh Remus?"

Ron gave Hermione a satisfied little "told you so" wink, but Hermione ignored him, listening.

"Or maybe," Sirius continued. "Maybe you haven't made a move because you've lost interest? Maybe I should have her kiss _me_. If I was here teaching her gorgeous little bottom ever day, _and_ I knew I had Dumbledore's approval, you can bet that I would not have ignored that saucy minx for long."

"Will you _stop_ talking about her as though she's a piece of meat?" Lupin said angrily. "She's just a girl…"

"She isn't," Sirius interrupted devilishly, and Hermione could imagine the mischievous smile on his handsome face. "She's seventeen and a well-developed one at that. What are you playing at, Mooney? Just drag her to the Shrieking Shack one night before the full moon and rock her world."

"I couldn't…she's too young…" but he stopped.

Hermione cursed. She and Ron had been trying to listen so hard that they hadn't been paying attention to anything else around them. Standing up straight, they heard Peeves crashing into suits of armor down the hall. Knowing that the noise would bring one or both of the men to the hallway, Hermione quickly knocked on the door, looking at Ron and hoping that the men would think they'd just arrived.

Lupin opened the door quickly.

"Ah, hello you two," he said with a smile, but Hermione could see worry etched into his face. She wanted so much to run her hands over the deep set lines, massaging them away. But she knew she couldn't. Not here, not with Sirius smirking at them from across the room.

"Come in, come in," Sirius said jovially, and walked over to them. Shaking Ron's hand, he clapped the tall redhead soundly on the shoulder. "I hear you have become quite the Casanova within these castle walls. Trying for my school record?" he teased, a touch of admiration in his voice.

Ron's ears went red.

"It just sort of happened," he said, though Hermione could tell that he was very pleased to be receiving such a friendly welcome from Sirius. Even though he was obviously very fond of Ron, Sirius had always given Hermione the impression that he tolerated Ron simply because he was friends with Harry, not necessarily because he himself wanted them to be friends.

"And you, you sassy little Head Girl, you," Sirius continued, spinning Hermione into his arms. She blushed very red. "Haven't been abusing your powers, have you?"

"No," she said, thinking that she had been so busy worrying about classes, lessons, and Lupin, that she had barely spent time fulfilling her Head Girl duty of discipline. She made a mental note to pay more attention to that.

"Well, not to worry, the year is still young. You might have your chance to catch a Slytherin or two yet."

He grinned, winking at her as he continued to hold him in his strong arms. Hermione felt a little flushed. While Lupin was really her be all and end all in terms of male perfection, there was something deliciously naughty about the way Sirius looked at her that made her feel just a bit dirtier, but in an exciting way. She knew that he was the type of guy to give her the best one-night-stand of her life, and considering her hormones were going crazy (and Lupin wasn't volunteering) she wasn't entirely sure she didn't want the attention.

'If he weren't Remus's best friend,' she thought to herself, disentangling herself from Sirius's arms. 'I would not hesitate.'

Remus cleared his throat. Neither Hermione nor Sirius seemed to notice the look of frustration and possessiveness in his eyes as he watched the two together. Mooney was nearly howling at the injustice of it all. She was _his_ Hermione. Sirius couldn't have her.

"I think we should get started," Lupin said, nonchalantly coming between the two under the pretense of grabbing his wand from his desk.

Sirius smirked, shooting Hermione another wink as he backed away a few feet

The lesson was an interesting one. Lupin was keeping such a close eye on Hermione that Ron was able to fell him with simple hexes simply because he wasn't paying close enough attention. After the third time he was hit with Ron's favorite, the Jelly-Legs Jinx, Sirius suggested that perhaps he and Lupin switch partners.

"You seem to be more concerned with Hermione anyway," Sirius said with a grin, causing both Remus and Hermione to blush.

"I dunno," Ron said with a smirk. "I think I have the upper hand here, considering _neither_ of you can take your eyes of Hermione."

He received a sharp kick from his flushed best friend.

Caught in the act, Remus concentrated less on Hermione and more on Ron, and was able to defend himself more in the process. Sirius, however, was able to try more risky charms on Hermione that he wouldn't have dared try with Remus paying attention.

"_Sirius!_" Hermione screamed as he hit her once more with a tickling charm. Grabbing her sides, she tried to focus her mind against it, but Sirius was enjoying the view of her chest heaving and her petite body convulsing with laughter.

"_Smettere Ridere!_" Remus said, effectively blocking Sirius's charm from Hermione.

"_Levicorpus!_" Ron shouted, and Lupin found himself flying into the air.

"Ok, Ron, put me down," he said, slightly embarrassed to be caught by such an easy spell.

Sirius sighed.

"As amusing as this is, I really don't see how this can be any fun without a little danger," he said, looking meaningfully at his friend. "Dumbledore said we could…"

"_You are not using the Imperius Curse!_" Remus roared, and both Ron and Hermione looked somewhat taken aback by the angry flush on their professor's cheek.

"I'm sorry, Remus, but they're going to have to figure it out at some point. I mean, suppose the next demonstration, they have to go up against Snape? You know he won't hold back his mind-control _talents_." He seemed to spit the word "talent," and Ron and Hermione were once again reminded of the hate that surged deep between the two men.

"Professor," Ron said, looking slightly wary. "I suppose this might not be the best idea generally, but I know Hermione and I are really keen to learn how to fight it. Our fourth year, Professor Moody…oh, wait, it wasn't him, was it? Well, whoever he was…he tried it on each of us, and Harry was the only one who could fight it."

"See? If _Moody_ thought…"

"It _wasn't_ Moody, Sirius," Lupin said forcefully. "And the last thing we need is to have _you_ controlling Hermione's mind."

"And I suppose the idea that I could actually fight it is completely ludicrous?" Hermione said haughtily.

"No, darling, that's not it," he said imploringly, and nobody missed the endearment that came from his lips. "It's just that it's _very_ difficult to master. There are some fully-trained wizards who aren't able to do it. Harry is different because he has two very powerful wizard parents who passed on…"

"Are you honestly telling me," Hermione said, getting very angry. "That because I'm Muggle-born, I'm not powerful enough to block the Imperius curse?"

"N…no," Lupin stuttered, but he knew he was losing the high ground. "It's just…well…it's Sirius…"

"Sirius knows I'll hex him into next week if he tries anything remotely stupid," Hermione interrupted again. "I trust him, Remus, and I think it's for the good of the Order. After all, if we're to fight against You-Know-Who, you can't protect me forever."

Ron and Sirius shifted uncomfortably. The tension between the two was palpable, and neither Ron nor Sirius really wanted to get caught in the line of fire. Instinctively, they both seemed to step back a few paces, giving Lupin and Hermione space.

"If that's what you want, Hermione," Remus said quietly. Then he aimed his wand toward her. "_Imperio!_"

Hermione felt herself drifting in a world of consciousness that she had never experienced before. Her head was delightfully empty, as if all the knowledge she had ever acquired had been siphoned away in one giant sieve. She felt light and completely free of all cares. It was a wonderfully new experience.

'_Do a little spin_,' said a small voice in her head.

'_Ok_,' she thought, and with the grace of a dancer, did a neat pirouette.

'_Another one_,' the voice commanded, and she followed without question.

After five or six more pirouettes, Hermione started to feel dizzy, but the voice insisted that she keep spinning. Her head started to ache. Her legs, which hadn't been used to doing that much graceful spinning, felt heavy. She didn't want to spin anymore.

'_Spin_,' the voice said.

'_I'm dizzy_,' she thought. '_I don't want to_.'

'_Spin._'

'_No_.'

'_Spin!_'

'_No_,' she thought airily. '_I don't think I will_.'

'_SPIN!_'

Hermione cried out in pain as her body went in to spin but her mind willed her against it, and she fell gracelessly on the floor. Both Ron and Sirius were laughing as Lupin walked over to her.

"I told you it wasn't easy," he said, somewhat apologetically as he helped her up. "And I can guarantee you that anyone who performs it upon you will not make you do a repetitive action like I did. That was just to get your body into a place of exhaustion so you don't want to do the action anymore. But you need to find that strength _before_ you're asked to spin seven times."

"Here, Remus, let me try now. I'll behave myself," Sirius added as Lupin looked at him worriedly.

"Alright. I'll work with Ron."

They worked for another hour. Ron seemed to have more trouble summoning the strength to fight the curse than Hermione. He kept quacking like a duck when Lupin told him to and when he tried to fight it, the sound he made was so funny that both Sirius and Hermione burst into laughter. Even Lupin, who had managed a dignified expression throughout, couldn't help a hearty chuckle as Ron turned bright red.

"Well, I think that's all for tonight," Lupin said, glancing at his watch. "We'll expect you both tomorrow night, same time."

"Hermione, may I walk you back to the tower?" Sirius asked gallantly, walking with her to the door. Not waiting for Lupin to say anything, Sirius had proffered his arm to the amused witch, grinning broadly. She grinned back and took his elbow, trying not to notice the deep-set worry on Lupin's face as they walked out of the classroom together. Ron, who hadn't noticed anything with Lupin, smirked at Sirius and jogged ahead until he was out of sight.

"You have no shame, do you?" she asked Sirius as he wrapped his arm around her waist.

"None at all. Do you think that's strange?" he replied innocently. There was a twinkle in his silver-blue eyes.

She shook her head.

"I am amazed that some witch hasn't scooped you up, Sirius, as you really are quite charming," she said.

"Well, perhaps I'm waiting for the right one," he said, smirking again.

"I hope you find her."

"Who says I haven't?" Those eyes continued to twinkle, but with a different type of fire. She recognized the lust from the countless times she had accidentally bumped into him while staying at Grimmauld Place, unconsciously brushing very close to his body.

She smirked.

"You couldn't handle me, Sirius," she teased.

He winked.

"I'd love the opportunity to find out."

They stopped in front of the painting of the Fat Lady, and he turned her to face him, leaning in and grazing his lips against her cheek. She felt a spark shoot down to her navel.

"Just give it some thought, love," he whispered, before winking again and walking away.

"Always the Don Juan, that one," the Fat Lady said disapprovingly, and Hermione knew she didn't forgive Sirius for slashing her portrait their third year. Saying the password, Hermione stepped back into the common room and headed straight for bed.


	8. Chapter 8: 3 Duels and a Miscalculation

**Chapter Eight: Three Duels and a Miscalculation**

"I'm not sure whether I'm just nervous or downright scared," Ron muttered as he, Hermione, Harry, and the other Order recruits were standing in the small room to the side of the Great Hall. "I think I'd be less nervous if my conscience wasn't telling me that I'm dueling a werewolf."

"You're not dueling a werewolf," Hermione said hotly. "You're dueling Professor Lupin. Now stop being stupid and keep concentrating on your spells because I don't want you to accidentally fling a hex in my direction when we're up there."

It was the night of the dueling demonstration, and the excitement was palpable behind the walls of the small side room. Inside, however, Ron wasn't the only one who was nervous at the prospect of putting their skills to the test in front of the entire school. Neville looked positively green and Seamus had thrown up twice already. Even Lavender and Pavarti, who had seemed very confident the night before as they practiced stunning each other in the common room, were as pale as ghosts and uncharacteristically silent.

"I think I'm going to be sick," Harry said, clutching his stomach. He had been a real mess for the past week, and he was certain that Snape was going to use that to his advantage to make it very difficult for Harry to succeed.

The only one who seemed to be keeping a level head was Hermione, but only Ron, Harry, and Ginny knew the real reason why. Most thought that, like most things, Hermione had mastered all of her hexes and charms and was as ready as she was ever going to be for the demonstration. The real reason had little to do with her preparedness, and everything to do with the two men she was going to be dueling.

After Sirius had walked her back to Gryffindor tower the first night of practice, Hermione had told Ginny, Ron, and Harry, and all three agreed that his offer was slightly strange, if not very vague, considering he knew as well as the rest of them how Lupin felt about Hermione. Harry suggested that perhaps he was trying to make Lupin jealous and spur the other man into action, and Hermione was ready to believe that that was the motivation behind it.

It certainly seemed to work, as the next night Lupin had asked Hermione to stay for some additional coaching, and had specifically said to Sirius that he wasn't needed for it. The coaching wasn't really necessary, obviously, so they had spent the better part of an hour talking about the Unforgivable Curses, and how she was doing with the Imperius Curse. It wasn't until she suggested coyly that he try making her do pirouettes again that he blanched and suggested she go back to her dormitory.

In the days that followed, it seemed like an unspoken battle for Hermione's attention had sprung between the two men, a fact that Ron found enormously amusing. Hermione appreciated Sirius's efforts, but once it was obvious that Lupin was legitimately interested in winning Hermione's affection, she started wondering why Sirius wasn't backing down. He even seemed to get more aggressive.

It wasn't until the night before the demonstration that Hermione realized Sirius wanted to be as much a competitor as Lupin. They had just finished the final notes on the rehearsal, with everyone quite content with what they needed to do the next night. Sirius, as usual, had offered Hermione his arm up to the tower. They were talking so animatedly about the next evening that it took a minute for Hermione to realize that they weren't taking the most direct route to the tower.

_FLASHBACK_

"_Sirius, where are we going?" Hermione asked as they passed the girls' seventh floor bathroom, a landmark Hermione knew they didn't need to pass in order to get to the portrait of the Fat Lady._

"_Just strolling. Don't you like to stroll?" he asked airily, but she was not fooled by the innocent expression on his face._

"_Sirius Black, where are you taking me?" she asked incredulously._

_He feigned a wounded look._

"_Really, 'Mione, don't you trust me?"_

_She grinned in spite of herself._

"_Not really, no."_

_He said nothing, but she saw a sly smirk form on his face, and before she knew what was happening, he had taken her hand and pulled her through a large set of oak doors that had appeared in front of him._

_She barely had time to realize that he was taking her to the Room of Requirement when her breath caught in her throat. She seemed to be standing in the dark recesses of space. Stars and planets drifted around her, and she was unaware if she was standing on anything, as everywhere around her was pitch black, except for the gentle glow of the universe surrounding her._

"_What did you tell the room?" she whispered, wondering if she could speak because everything was so eerily silent._

"_I asked for the room to give me the stars so that I could give them to you," he whispered back, his lips next to her ear._

_She suppressed an urge to comment on the interesting twist on an old cliché. There was something soothing yet romantic about the room, and as she felt Sirius's breath on her neck, she got an idea that that combination was his intention._

"_Sirius," she said, turning to face him. "What are you doing?"_

_He gave her that heart-melting grin._

"_Giving you the stars."_

"_But…"_

"_Hermione," he interrupted, looking deep into her eyes. "I told you I'd like the opportunity to see if I can handle you. I wanted to bring you here to prove that I was serious."_

_END FLASHBACK_

He had leaned in and brushed his lips against hers, and she felt a tingle of desire shoot through her body. He had pulled away slowly, as if reluctant to let it stay at something so innocent. They had walked back to the Fat Lady in silence, and his good-night kiss, though on her cheek, was lingering.

Hermione had dreamt of Sirius that night. It was the first erotic dream she had ever had that starred anyone other than Lupin. She woke up hot, bothered, and confused, and had immediately gone to Ginny. She knew that telling the boys something like that would be asking a bit too much from them, as they saw her as a sister and no one wanted to hear their sister talking about stuff like erotic dreams.

Ginny, in her infinite wisdom, had decided to make Hermione describe the dream in order to decipher just what it all meant. Blushing profusely, Hermione gave as detailed a re-telling as she could muster. She was amazed that Ginny had been able to listen unblushingly.

"There's really only one conclusion," Ginny had said when Hermione was finished. "You're horny as hell and you're projecting your sexual frustration upon the first available and interested wizard. Sirius admitted he wanted you, which is something we've _all_ been waiting for Lupin to do, and so you've taken all that pent-up sexual energy and given it an outlet: Sirius. I'm actually surprised you didn't think of this yourself, 'Mione, it's quite simple."

Hermione wondered whether Ginny wouldn't have been better off as a Muggle psychologist.

So now Hermione was standing in the small room off to the side of the Great Hall, ignoring the nervousness around her and the excitement beyond the room, and fixating on the dilemma she had in front of her. Should she go for the available, attractive, attentive wizard to "abate her burning sexual desires," or should she continue to wait for Lupin to finally wise up?

"'Mione, you need to stop thinking about what happened last night and concentrate," Ron's voice broke through her inner conflicts. "It's nearly time and I know I'm a bit of a wreck but I don't want you getting up there and finally realizing what's going on only to blow my head off with some random spell for disembodiment."

Hermione slowly turned to look at her friend.

"Where would I have found a spell for disembodiment?" she asked wondrously.

He rolled his eyes.

"Out of the entire realm of responses you could have used, _that_ is the question you choose to respond with?"

"Well, out of all the hexes you could have chosen, why did you automatically come up with disembodiment in that little hypothetical of yours?"

"Are we really analyzing hypotheticals now?"

"You're the one that presented…"

"Oh, for fuck's sake, shut up," Harry groaned, still clutching his stomach as he sat on a chair that Seamus had just vacated to go be sick for a third time.

The door to the room opened, and Professor McGonagall walked in. She had been quite proud at the fact that every seventh year in her house had qualified as Order recruits, and had been exceptionally kind to them when they were in Transfiguration. She had even procured the gleaming white robes they all wore to distinguish themselves from the black ones the Order members were going to be wearing.

"It's so lovely to see you all so confident," she said, beaming. Harry, Ron, and Hermione wondered whether it was professorial pride that was blinding her to the fact that none of the students looked particularly confident.

Seamus's retching echoed from the corner.

"Alright, let's not keep them waiting," she said, back to her brisk tone as they all got into their teams, starting through the door.

The applause was deafening as they all walked into the Great Hall, and Hermione reveled in the envious looks Pansy Parkinson and her gang of Slytherin girls were giving them. As much as they had taunted teased the recruits for being Dumbledore's pets, Hermione knew that they were jealous of the attention and admiration.

The room looked like it had been magicked into a Roman arena. Bleachers stood on all four sides of the center square, which seemed much bigger and more daunting than Hermione imagined it to look. Each house had their own bleacher, and though the Gryffindor house looked emptier than usual, due to their entire seventh year's participation, they were still the most boisterous.

"And here come the recruits now, led by the lovely Hogwarts deputy headmistress and Transfiguration professor, Professor McGonagall," a magically-magnified voice said, and Hermione looked over at where the teachers' table usually stood to see Fred and George sitting on a makeshift platform. They were grinning from ear to ear.

"My my my, they _are_ a sorry looking bunch," one of them, most likely George, said in a teasing manner as Dean tripped over his robes and almost caused a domino-effect as they managed to sit down without any major accidents.

"Well, ladies and gents, let me introduce our contenders for the evening. Kicking us off on the Hogwarts side, from the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw houses, Neville Longbottom, Pavarti Patil, and Luna Lovegood!" Fred said, and the room went crazy as Neville, Pavarti, and Luna hesitantly stood and walked into the center of the room.

"And from the Auror offices of the Ministry of Magic, Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody and Nymphadora Tonks!"

Tonks and Moody stood and walked slowly to the center of the arena. There was enthusiastic applause, but most people were watching Tonk's hair in wonder, as the color kept changing.

Hermione leaned over to Harry.

"What's up with Tonks?" she asked.

"What?" he said weakly, and she decided not to bother him, turning the question toward Ron.

"I think she has trouble controlling her Metamorphmagus powers when she's nervous," he replied.

"What? Why would Tonks be nervous? She's dueled Death Eaters! What are three seventeen year old students?"

"Didn't you hear what happened at their rehearsal last night?"

"No."

"Well, Neville got so nervous that his wand slipped out of his hand while using the Jelly-Legs Jinx I taught him," Ron said. "The spell ricocheted off the wall and hit Tonks, only instead of making her legs go like jelly, it turned her bones to jelly. She had to be rushed to the hospital wing to re-grow her leg." He shook his head. "Leave it to Neville to mess up something like the Jelly-Legs Jinx."

Hermione watched as the five wizards bowed to each other before starting to aim of their jinxes. She noticed that Tonks never took her eyes off Neville, even though there was a point when she was dueling both Pavarti and Luna while Moody took on Neville.

Having been choreographing for two weeks, Hermione appreciated the subtle differences in the styles that each other the Order members seemed to have. Obviously, Moody and Tonks thought that keeping the three students moving around, switching from one to the other, was the more effective way of teaching. While wildly entertaining, Hermione thought it was a bit reckless, because more than once a spell collided with another and sparks flew into the crowd, scaring some of the students.

All in all, though, as Moody and Tonks surrendered to the three disheveled young witches and wizard, Hermione found their duel to be quite enjoyable. There was a burst of applause, which startled Hermione until she realized that she had been so caught up with watching the movement and pacing of the duel that she had tuned out all sound. As Madame Pomfrey made sure that Neville, Luna, and Pavarti were alright, the sound of Fred and George's commentary came through in patches.

"…excellent use of the stunning spell…"

"…never seen transfiguration used quite like that before…"

"…Moody in fine form for a wizard of his years…"

"Moody's brilliant," Ron whispered to her as they watched Moody and Tonks collapse on the bench across from them. "Didn't think he could move that fast."

Dumbledore now stood, and walked to the center. A rush of silence fell immediately.

"Welcome to the Guy Fawkes Duels and Ball," he said serenely, gazing around the room with a smile upon his face. "As you have seen, our own Hogwarts students have been studying hard in order to duel at their best with some of this century's most talented and powerful wizards. But the most impressive part of what you'll see this evening, and indeed what you've already seen, is the fearlessness and confidence these students have in their knowledge that they, the side of truth and justice, will persevere in the end."

He paused and glanced over at Bill and Kingsley, who seemed to be going over some last minute details. Smiling slightly, Dumbledore continued.

"Perseverance despite adversity, however, is also important in these dark days, as this next duel will prove. As it is somewhat…dramatic," he paused, glancing at Seamus, Dean, and Lavender, all of whom were quite pale. "I have taken the precaution of putting up a shield around the arena. Do not be alarmed if a hex seems to be heading your way. I assure you that, should you duck, the only thing that will fly at you will be air…and perhaps embarrassment."

Waving his wand, Hermione saw a ripple move throughout the crowd and felt a light, warm breeze fall over her.

"Well said, Professor, well said," Fred's voice became magically-magnified again. "Now, my friends, let me introduce you to your next set of contenders. From the halls of Gryffindor tower, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Lavender Brown!"

There was wild applause as the three walked toward the center.

"And again from the Auror offices of the Ministry of Magic, Kingsley Shackelbolt, and from Gringott's Wizarding Bank, Bill Weasley," George said.

"Hands off, girls, he's taken," Fred added, and Bill turned to throw his brothers a very nasty look.

Dumbledore's assessment of their duel as "dramatic" was a bit understated, in Hermione's opinion. She could no more blame Seamus for getting sick with the thought of going through it than she could with Harry being ill over the thought of dealing with Snape.

Bill and Kingsley worked as a well-oiled machine, and Hermione now knew why they preferred to work together. They stood, back to back, in the center while Lavender, Seamus, and Dean prowled around them. Soon, curses and hexes were flying all over the place with little consideration to their final destination, and more often than not, students in the front rows flinched involuntarily as the spells exploded just feet in front of them as they hit Dumbledore's invisible barrier.

Hermione understood what Dumbledore meant about perseverance. At one point, Bill had Seamus stunned on the floor, Kingsley had Dean wrapped in invisible bonds, and both were rounding on Lavender. The desired effect was, of course, to show the age-old paradox: Which of your friends would you save if you could only save one? Lavender (who Hermione had always thought of as a bit of an actress) waited until both Bill and Kingsley were inches away before releasing Dean from his bonds and watching Dean stun an unprepared Bill while Lavender dodged Kingsley's levitation spell.

Finally, panting, the three students had Bill and Kingsley on the floor, begging for mercy as they surrendered. Ron and Hermione gave each other withering looks, but the duel seemed to have worked as the rest of the school was on their feet, applauding loudly and stamping their feet in appreciation.

Bill seemed to shoot Sirius and Lupin look that read "Top that!" Hermione watched Sirius shoot Bill a smirk, and she smiled slightly as she knew what was coming.

Sirius and Lupin had decided – undoubtedly after hearing what Bill and Kingsley were doing, now that Hermione thought about it – to do something dramatic that no one would expect. Even though Lupin was adamant that the Unforgivable Curses shouldn't be used, Sirius had reminded him that this was a learning exercise as much for the audience as for the students. Therefore, having discussed it in depth with Dumbledore and letting the headmaster watch one of their rehearsals, they decided to use both the Imperius Curse and the Cruciatus Curse.

Once again, Dumbledore stood up, and for the first time all night, Hermione felt her muscles seize up temporarily from anxiety and fear of what was coming.

"We are now heading into two of the more difficult duels of the evening," he said, and he was no longer smiling. Hermione knew this was to make sure that the students were paying strict attention, but it was unsettling nevertheless.

"Many of you know what the Unforgivable Curses are. Some of you might even know what they do. Very few of you know what they look like, and to my knowledge only three of you," His eyes turned to Hermione, Ron, and Harry. "Know what they feel like."

"This duel may not be as dramatic or as entertaining as the ones you have just seen, but it is a very accurate depiction of what happens when these curses are unleashed upon another human being. Some of you might find this difficult to watch due to family history. You are excused, and you will be called in when it is over."

Hermione watched Neville closely. He seemed to seriously contemplate leaving, but in the end, he squared his shoulders and remained seated. Professor McGonagall was herding a small group into the Entrance Hall.

"Please welcome your next group of duelers," George said, his voice much more somber than it had been for the previous two. "From Gryffindor, Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasley."

The two stood and moved forward. They received applause, but it seemed more tentative and unsure than the previous two.

"And on the other side, another member of the Auror Department in the Ministry of Magic and former wanted convict, Sirius Black," Fred said, and Hermione thought she saw a small smirk on Sirius's face as a few people gasped.

"And from our own Hogwarts staff, Professor R.J. Lupin," George added.

The pairs bowed to each other, and within seconds, the hexes started flying. Hermione concentrated everything on Sirius, throwing hex after hex, dodging and blocking, before Sirius gave his bark of a laugh – a signal to Lupin – and pointed his wand at Ron.

"_Crucio!_" he shouted, and Ron froze, giving a loud, blood-curdling scream as his body wrenched.

No matter how many times they practiced, no matter how many times Hermione watched, she couldn't help but feel actual fear for her friend. And now, as Sirius put his focus on Ron with a maniacal look in his eye, it seemed very real. Only Lupin's soft glance made her remember that this was just for pretend, that Ron knew he was going to be writhing on the floor in pain, and that her next step would be to stop Sirius.

"_Expelliarmus!_" she shouted, knocking Sirius off his feet as he landed hard on the stone floor, effectively breaking his focus on Ron.

Running over to Ron, Hermione raised her wand to the two converging wizards, heaving him to his feet with her free arm. A little shaken, Ron pointed his wand at them again.

"_Crucio!_" Sirius said again, pointing his wand at Ron, but Hermione lunged in front, catching the spell herself.

She could barely hear her own screams as the pain hit her. She felt like she was wrestling with an invisible force, and every time she moved, the pain became worse and worse.

The curse lifted as she heard Lupin cry "_Cordare!_" and all of a sudden, ropes bound her hands behind her back as she sat on the floor, her wand at her feet.

There was a gasp as Sirius yanked her into his arms, his wand at her throat. Ron, even though they had practiced it thousands of times, still looked fearful at what she assumed was the crazed look in Sirius's eye.

Lupin was moving towards Ron, and as Ron turned to deal with him, Hermione lunged back against Sirius, her head making contact with his jaw, before kicking back, taking his legs out from under him.

Her hands still bound, she kicked her wand over to Ron, who picked it up quickly before shooting a stunning spell at Lupin. Lupin stumbled, giving Ron time to get the rope off Hermione.

"_Imperio!_"

Hermione felt suddenly light, and as she took her wand from Ron, someone in the back of her head said _'Walk towards me.'_

The crowd, who had been cheering from Fred and George's thrilling commentary of Hermione's brave escape from Sirius, had gone deathly quiet as Hermione felt herself walking willingly over to Lupin.

'_Good,_' said the voice. '_Join us. Turn your wand on Ron._'

Hermione slowly turned towards Ron, her wand outstretched. The crowd gasped.

'_Good. You've got him now. Torture him. Use the Cruciatus Curse._'

"_Crucio!_" Hermione heard herself say, and Ron collapsed again in pain.

'_This isn't right!_' Hermione's rational thought began to sink in. '_He's the wrong one!_'

As if pulling against a very strong grip, Hermione yanked her wand back, dropping her focus as she started to fight against the mind-control.

'_Don't fight,_' said the voice. '_You want to hurt him. He'll hurt you if you give him the chance._'

'_I won't_," Hermione's rational thought said, stronger, and she found herself jerking back to reality.

Turning on the two men, she cried "_Imperio!_" just as Ron, who had gotten back to his feet, cried "_Crucio!_" Lupin collapsed in pain as Sirius turned his wand from Ron and Hermione to Lupin.

The duel was over.

There was no deafening applause as the four, muscles sore and minds tired, bowed to each other and then to the rest of the crowd. Dumbledore started clapping, and the rest of the school slowly followed suit. Hermione sighed. She knew they would be like the sudden splash of cold water on an open flame, but she had never thought the silence would be so intense.

Walking over to Madame Pomfrey with Sirius, Lupin, and Ron, she felt a comforting hand on her shoulder. Not really caring which of the three men it was, she sighed, patting it affectionately with her own hand. Glancing up, she saw Lupin smiling down at her.

"Well, folks, that was a sobering piece of reality," George said gravely, and glancing at the twins, Hermione saw them looking at her worriedly.

"But it needed to be done," Fred said. "And I for one consider myself lucky to count all four of those duelers as friends. Let's give them another round of applause for bravely sacrificing their bodies for a bit of hard education."

The applause was louder now, and as Madame Pomfrey administered some Pepper-Up Potion to the four of them, Hermione felt glad that she could provide others with the opportunity to learn those things that could only really be learned from personal experience. That didn't stop Madame Pomfrey, who seemed a little paler than usual, from grumbling under her breath.

"The Unforgivable Curses, really. I thought Dumbledore would have more sense than to bring them in here…" she muttered to herself, scowling as Ron grimaced.

"You alright, Ron?" Lupin asked worriedly to the ashen-faced redhead.

He nodded weakly.

"I think I might have scared him a bit, Remus," Sirius said darkly. "I got into it a bit too much. I was thinking of Bellatrix and Rodolphus and…" He trailed off, taking a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Ron."

"S'ok, mate. It's all over," Ron said with a small smile.

Sirius continued to look sullen.

"Look, Dumbledore's standing again," Hermione said. Then she realized what was to come. Seizing Ron's hand, she said: "It's Harry and Snape now."

"I trust that everyone is aware that those two curses performed, along with the fatal, _Avada Kadavra_ curse, are illegal in the wizarding world, with very few exceptions. Tonight, as they were used for teaching purposes, was one of those exceptions. Be aware, however," he said, looking directly at the Syltherin bleachers. "That any use of those curses on school grounds is cause for immediate expulsion and a trial in front of the Wizengamot. And you do _not_ want to end up in Azkaban, no matter how tempting our anger for one another might be."

There was an uncomfortable shuffle of feet as the students who had left the hall returned to their seats. They looked questioningly at their peers, but it seemed the other students could not give voice to what they had just seen.

"Our final duel of the night," Dumbledore said when the din of returning students had faded. "Shows what happens when one dueler is blessed with the power to look into the other's mind. This is a test of mind over matter, as you will see the slow descent into madness that mind-control can cause. Again, if this is too much for some students, you are excused and will be called in afterwards."

Professor McGonagall led a larger amount of students out of the hall this time.

"My dear witches and wizards," Fred's voice carried through the hall, trying to sound chipper again. "It is my great pleasure to introduce you to your final Hogwarts dueler of the night. Indeed, he needs no introduction, so please applaud loudly for your Gryffindor competitor, Harry Potter!"

The crowd went wild as Harry stood, smiling sheepishly and waving. Hermione noticed he was still very pale.

"And his victim…I mean, adversary…is another Hogwarts staff member, Professor Severus Snape!"

For the first time all night, the Slytherin side went crazy, applauding and shouting as Snape stepped up mechanically. Hermione couldn't help but see the malice in his eyes, and she was sure Fred and George's comment describing him as Harry's victim would not bode well for Harry.

The two barely bowed to each other as they readied themselves.

"_Legilimens!_" Snape suddenly shouted, and Hermione watched Harry go rigid, his pale face screwed up in horror as he held his head.

"No!" he shouted. "Please don't kill Cedric!"

The crowd fell silent. They all knew, either because they had been here or because they had been told, that Harry had seen Cedric Diggory die. Now, Snape was forcing him to relive it.

"_Expelliarmus!_" Harry shouted suddenly, pointing his wand at Snape.

Snape blocked it easily.

"_Legilimens!_" Snape said again, and Harry crumpled to his knees.

"Get out of my head!" Harry cried. "Mum! Dad! Don't let them kill me!"

On and on it went, with the occasional hex cast throughout. Either Snape or Harry would block them easily. It seemed with Snape legitimately enjoyed toying with Harry's mind, watching him writhe and whimper. The more exhausted Harry got from shrugging Snape out of his brain, the more insistent Snape became.

Until,

"_Legilimens!_" Snape shouted gleefully, but Harry shouted "_Protego!_" at the same time.

Snape went rigid before his face scrunched in fearful horror. He fell to his knees, his hand grabbing Harry's robes.

"He's going to kill them," he gasped. "The Potters. Don't let him kill Lily, professor. Don't let him!"

"That's enough!"

Dumbledore's voice carried through the hall, and the spell that had been over Snape broke quickly. Looking up at Harry's stunned face from where he knelt on the floor, Snape stood up quickly. Shooting Harry the darkest glare he could, he turned on his heel and swept out of the Great Hall. Obviously, there had been a miscalculation.

There was silence.

"Clearly," Dumbledore said, standing and walking over to Harry. "Anyone can be susceptible to the dangers that come with mind-control. But I think we've had enough excitement for tonight. Please give your Hogwarts students a big round of applause."

The crowd applauded, but it was that same tentative, anxious applause that had greeted Hermione and Ron when they had finished their duel. Ron and Hermione looked at each other as Harry, not bothering to see Madame Pomfrey, walked back to his seat. Dean, Seamus, and Neville all shifted slightly, giving him a little more space than he needed.

"Now we know why he was so exhausted every time he came back from Snape," Hermione whispered as they walked back to their friend.

"Dunno why he didn't just tell us Snape was probing his mind," Ron said hotly. "Would have made loads more sense."

"I suppose he didn't want to admit that he was still having trouble with Occlumency," she replied. Sitting next to Harry, she saw a tear slide from one eye and splash against his robe. She took his hand, gave it a squeeze, and then nodded to Ginny to come down from the stands to join him.

Ginny didn't need to be told twice.

"As we've all had quite an ordeal," Dumbledore said, quieting the crowd as the group of students came back in from the Hall once more. "I think some entertainment is in order. Please welcome the Weird Sisters!"

The popular band trooped onto the platform that Fred and George had vacated. The tension in the crowd immediately lifted. Excited murmurs turned into loud applause and Hermione felt herself being pushed and jostled as students rushed toward the stage.

"Fickle types, aren't they?" Fred said suddenly from Hermione's left shoulder, and she looked up to see him smiling at her.

"It's as if Snape's utter breakdown never happened," George said serenely, appearing at her right shoulder. "Bless their simple hearts."

"You can hardly blame them," she said, watching as Neville took Luna's hand and spun her towards him, almost tripping over his robes. "Anything to break that tension. I don't know what Dumbledore was thinking."

"I think everyone was under the misapprehension that he meant this to be entertainment," Fred said. "He told us that he wanted it to be a learning experience, but a difficult one. He didn't want people asking you lot anymore questions, and I think he effectively squashed all curiosity with those last two duels."

"Which reminds me…are you alright?" George asked, his tone worried.

She smiled. "I'm fine, thanks. A bit shaken, but that's what happens when…well…" She trailed off, not really wanting to relive it. It was one thing to rehearse in an empty classroom with Ron, Lupin, and Sirius. It was another to do it in front of hundreds of horrified students.

"I meant what I said up there," Fred said sincerely. "I do feel lucky to count you four among my friends. That was one of the most difficult things to watch, but I feel more prepared because of it."

"That was the general idea," Hermione said before sighing. "Oh, I do wish Dumbledore would conjure a food table. I'm starving."

"There's one over there, in the corner," George said. "I'll get you something."

He rushed off as Fred sat down with her at one of the newly conjured tables.

"We brought you a present," he said as Hermione shrugged out of her white robes. Professor McGonagall had suggested wearing their ball clothes underneath their robes to make the transition process easier. Hermione felt glad to be rid of the heavy cloth.

"You didn't have to," she said, trying to ignore how he admired her dress. While not as fancy as the gown she had worn for the Yule Ball, the long red dress she wore now managed to highlight her charms to their fullest.

"We know we didn't have to, but we did anyway," Fred replied, shaking himself from staring at her. He pulled a small box out of his dress robes and handed it to her.

Opening it, she saw a small gold chain. Pulling it out to examine it, she found it was similar to a charm bracelet. Not unlike the Muggle charm bracelet her parents had bought for her when she first came to Hogwarts, there were several significant charms hanging around the bracelet. Unlike the Muggle charm bracelet, the charms on the enchanted one changed every few seconds to reveal a new charm, effectively giving her at least twenty-five charms.

"Thank you," she said sincerely to both the twins, as George placed a plate of food and three butterbeers on the table.

"There's one that doesn't change," George said mischievously. "See if you can spot it."

Whether she was subconsciously thinking about it or not, she found the charm they were referring to immediately. A howling wolf.


	9. Chapter 9: Dancing and Moonlit Walks

**Chapter Nine: Dancing and Moonlit Walks**

The food and butterbeer seemed to revive Hermione, and pretty soon she was spinning on the dance floor with the twins. They took turns dancing with her, and though they flirted with her and made suggestive comments, she was confident that they invited her to the ball simply because they liked her company and enjoyed being around her. In fact, after an hour or so, George had gone missing only to emerge half an hour later from the Entrance Hall with a blushing Padma Patil.

"He's had his eye on her for ages," Fred whispered in Hermione's ear as they were dancing. George grinned slyly at Padma as he led her on the dance floor. "Ever since the D.A., I think."

"How 'bout you? Did you ever make it happen with Angelina?" Hermione asked him as the song ended and they walked back to their table.

He smirked.

"I did indeed. She's currently studying in France, though, so I haven't seen her in a few months. 'Course, we exchange letters, and she's coming home for Christmas, so maybe we'll catch up."

Hermione smiled.

"You know, when you sent me that invitation, Ginny and Harry were trying to convince me that you fancied me."

Fred chuckled.

"We do, in our way," he admitted. "But as you're almost like a sister to us, we know it could be sorta weird. Plus, you're already emotionally attached. I think on some level, we wanted to make Lupin jealous. See what he's missing, and all."

"I think he knows," she said, and told Fred about Sirius.

Fred arched an eyebrow.

"Well, I gotta hand it to Sirius, because he's definitely showing restraint. George and I've known he's fancied you for ages. We thought he just wanted a shag, but if he's willing to give you the _stars_…" He smirked as Hermione sighed.

"It's all very weird, Fred," she said.

"Well, I think you have two options. You either take Sirius up on his offer, or you wait for Lupin. Personally, looking at the state of you," He appraised her. "I think you need a good shag."

She blushed furiously, looking down at herself.

"How can you tell?" she asked.

He grinned.

"Couldn't. But you just confirmed it."

She smacked him.

"Miss Granger?"

Hermione looked up to see Sirius smiling at her.

"Would you honor me with a dance?"

Food and drink seemed to have revived him as well. Fred held back a chuckle as Hermione, blushing, accepted the outstretched hand. A slower song was playing, and Sirius, whom she was certain was a fantastic dancer, twirled her effortlessly into his arms.

"You look beautiful tonight, 'Mione," he whispered, taking in her dress.

"Thank you," she said, blushing slightly again. "You clean up nicely," she added, nodding down to his dress robes.

"I don't remember the last time I wore dress robes," he said. "I think it was probably Harry's christening."

They danced together in silence for a moment before she felt Sirius's hold on her tighten slightly.

"Have you given any thought to what I said last night?" he asked.

"A little, yes," she admitted. "It's tempting."

"Is it?" he asked, and that sexy, arrogant smile of his started to creep onto his face.

She chuckled.

"Yes. But I haven't made a decision yet, and I'm not likely to in the next five minutes."

"Fair enough."

They danced until the end of the song, and Sirius kissed her hand before she stepped back off the dance floor. She felt that same pull below her navel, and wondered whether hot, passionate, fiery, meaningless sex wasn't the perfect antidote to her recent inability to focus.

Before she was able to get back to the table with Fred, George, and now Padma, Hermione almost bumped into Tonks, her hair back to the bubble-gum pink it usually was, who seemed to be looking for someone.

"Wotcha, 'Mione," she said brightly. "Great duel. Bit intense. Listen," she lowered her voice. "You couldn't do me a favor, could ya?"

"Er…" Hermione said. "Sure. What's up?"

"Ron and I wanna sneak off, only Snape's patrolling tonight and…well…he's in a much fouler mood because of what happened. Could you come with us, and stand watch? You can bring someone to keep you company. I'll go get Remus," she said, and before Hermione could protest, Tonks had rushed through the crowd towards Lupin.

"Bloody Tonks," Hermione muttered, walking over to the table and grabbing her white robes. It was cold outside, and she didn't want to freeze while standing awkwardly with Remus waiting for Tonks and Ron to finish whatever sordid things they decided to do.

"Where're you off to?" George asked.

"Um…just a bit of air," she said, glancing warily at Padma.

"Padma," Fred said with a smile. "Why don't we go get some drinks? I'll tell you about the time George transfigured Ron's stuffed teddy bear into a spider…scarred him for life, that did."

Padma blushed, and the two walked toward the drink table.

George arched an expectant eyebrow.

"Tonks fancies a snog with your brother," Hermione said. "She's asking Remus and I to come keep guard in case Snape gets curious."

George rolled his eyes.

"Bloody Ron. He arrived with a completely different witch, too. Such a randy ol' sod."

Hermione grinned.

"Funnily enough, I think Tonks was the one who initiated it."

She waved good-bye to George and walked to the entrance way. Tonks, Ron, and a very reluctant Lupin were standing there waiting for her.

"Beautiful night for a stroll, eh?" Tonks said loudly as they stepped out of the castle.

"Yeah. Great weather for the time of year," Ron said, also quite loudly, before glancing at Lupin and Hermione. Hermione noticed Snape's dark eyes were following them.

"It's so hot in there, it's nice to get some air," she said, glancing at Snape. He had turned his attention back to the rose bushes that quivered with hundreds of fairy lights.

"Peaky git," Tonks murmured, and silently, the four made their way down the sprawling lawns.

Hermione felt herself getting frustrated by Lupin as they walked down the hill towards Hagrid's cabin. They were walking close to each other, but every time their hands accidentally brushed, he seemed to take a step away from her, only to do it again a few steps later. It was maddening, and Hermione silently cursed Tonks for choosing Lupin, of all people, to be the one to keep her company.

"You don't have to come any further," Tonk's voice sang lightly ahead of them. "Ron's just showing me Hagrid's pumpkin patch. Won't be a mo."

"At least _someone's_ pumpkin patch is getting attention," Hermione mumbled, not thinking for a moment who she was with or that his extra-sensitive senses could easily hear her.

Remus nearly choked on his tongue.

"Excuse me?!" he spluttered, and it took Hermione a second to realize why he seemed so shocked. Then she blushed.

"Nothing. It's stupid…" she muttered.

They stood silently for a few minutes, enjoying the cold peace of the grounds versus the loud beats that were now barely audible from the Great Hall. The peace made Remus a little restless. Whether it was the approach of the full moon or the sound of Tonk's soft moans from behind Hagrid's cabin, Remus became very aware of Hermione's presence. Her scent, which naturally smelled deliciously like hot chocolate and worn leather, was highlighted tonight by a dark, sensual perfume that reminded him oddly of the incense-filled bars of the distant east.

Yet there was another scent, fainter than the others, that was slowly filling him though he couldn't quite place it…

He stopped, and all of a sudden he turned bright red. Heat seemed to emanate from his pores and ripple through his dress robes. He hoped Hermione wouldn't notice, but she, too, seemed much attuned to him in the peacefulness of the evening. She seemed to sense his discomfort and looked over. She arched an eyebrow slightly at his color.

"Really, Remus, don't be such a prude. You can barely hear them."

Remus frowned, wondering what on earth she was talking about before hearing Tonks again.

"No…" he said, but trailed off, not wanting to tell her that his blushes came from smelling _her_, catching her womanly scent in the air, sensing it get stronger as Tonks's moans filled the air, followed by Ron's.

"I never took Tonks for a moaner," Hermione said, more to herself than to Remus.

"Apparently Ron's good at tending her pumpkin patch."

The words slipped out before he could think and Hermione slowly turned to look at him, surprised he would say something like that, especially in front of her. Mortified, Remus avoided her gaze, feeling the heat rising to his face again.

But then, she burst out laughing.

"I think Sirius has finally rubbed off on you," she said, a large grin on her face.

He chuckled sheepishly.

"Yes, well…it was bound to happen sooner or later. Can't tune him out _all_ the time, can I?"

And he managed to laugh in spite of himself.

"Oh, I don't know," Hermione teased, eyes sparkling. "I think you have a bit of that devilishly mischievous streak in you, too. You are, after all, a Marauder."

It was almost as if they were back at number 12 Grimmauld Place before he had almost kissed her, teasing and taunting each other like friends. The past few months had been a weird sort of limbo, because they were tip-toeing around each other like anxious former lovers trying desperately to find footing in a platonic reality.

"James and Sirius were always the lewd ones. I tended to be a bit shy in those matters," he said.

"I suppose it must have been difficult, dating and being a social pariah. They don't seem to fit together."

"No," he admitted. "I suppose the frustrating thing was knowing that the girls I really wanted were the ones I could never truly have."

This also slipped out before he had a chance to think. He had been referring mainly to Lily, the first woman he had really harbored feelings for but could never, ever have. He knew, though, as Hermione remained painfully silent beside him, that he also meant her and he wondered whether that thought had occurred to her as well.

"Perhaps we should go back," she said, looking at her watch. "It's almost midnight."

"I don't know if we should leave Tonks and Ron down here alone with Snape on the prowl. They seem a bit preoccupied and wouldn't notice if someone came down here. That would be a bit embarrassing, not to mention detrimental to their psychological well-being."

"Not entirely undeserved, the kinky buggers," Hermione said, making a face.

Remus laughed.

"Perhaps I should say that Sirius has rubbed off on _you_," he said.

She smiled slightly.

"Not yet. But he is persistent," she replied, and suddenly Remus knew she wasn't talking about his sense of humor.

"Hermione," he said softly, looking at her. "If you want to go out with…with Sirius, or anyone else, then you should. I don't want you to worry about me…or anything…"

He trailed off, intending to be comforting and perhaps a bit paternal. But he knew that his words were half-hearted. He had been pursuing her subconsciously for weeks now. He would be mad with jealousy if she started seeing someone else.

Especially Sirius.

Her eyes, however, looked far from comforted. They flashed fire.

"I thank you for your permission, _professor_," she said angrily. "But I don't recall asking for it."

"It's not that I think you need permission," he said quickly, trying to clarify. "It's just…I thought…he seems to attentive to you…"

"So, if I were to date Sirius, it wouldn't affect you?"

"Well…" He wasn't sure how honest to be. "It's not like you and I…I mean, we never said…I suppose it's not my business."

She shook her head, her eyes starting to fill with frustrated tears.

"When will you get it through your thick skull?" she asked. "When will you understand that the only man I really want to be with is you? You, Remus, you stupid, _stupid_ man."

"Hermione…"

A crack of lightening made them both jump, and Hermione chuckled slightly as the rumble of thunder rolled overhead.

"I thought the twins had let off some fireworks," she said. "Wouldn't want them walking in on Ron and Tonks either. Almost as bad as Snape for Ron." She looked up at the dark gray clouds that warned of the coming rain. She looked into his eyes, finding they were the same stormy color.

She turned away.

"Ron and Tonks should be finishing soon. I don't suppose they'll want to stay outside through this storm."

"Hermione, listen. I…"

"You don't have to say anything, Remus."

"No, I really…"

Another bolt of lightening and roar of thunder interrupted him as big drops of rain began to fall. One fell onto Hermione's upturned lips, causing her to slowly lick it off.

Remus felt Mooney growl and lunge and before he could stop himself, he had pulled Hermione to him and crushed his lips against hers in a scathing, bruising kiss. She squealed slightly in shock but returned the kiss wholeheartedly, wrapping her arms around his neck as she buried her hands into his silky sandy-brown hair.

They kissed passionately, heatedly, as Mooney claimed her as his, nipping and biting her lower lip. His hands were held firmly around her waist, motionless by the last stubborn vestiges of Remus's sense of chivalry and decorum. But Remus the man needed her just as much as his wolf inside. Her lips were soft and curious but playful and compliant. Her tongue danced hotly, tasting him as he tasted her. And the small hands that ran through his hair and over the back of his neck issued a hungry growl from the back of his throat.


	10. Chapter 10: Rejection and Rejuvenation

A/N: This ends with some pretty intense smutty goodness. If that's not your thing, there's a back button on your browser window.

**Chapter Ten: Rejection and Rejuvenation**

Hermione was having trouble understanding what exactly was going on, but Remus's lips had the same effect on her as the Imperius Curse. Everything around her disappeared, and she felt light and free. A voice in the back of her mind told her lazily that he tasted like chocolate.

And then, as sudden as they came, his lips left hers.

It took a few seconds for her to realize the clock was chiming midnight as her Remus-induced haze let up. She looked at him, watching him closely as he looked frustrated, running a hand through his now-disheveled hair.

"Hermione," he said, his voice breathless. "We can't…"

"Stop," she commanded, and she took a step toward him. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. You have a choice, Remus. Take me now or I'm gone."

He didn't answer. He felt his heart racing against his chest. Mooney was howling and trashing within him, livid that Remus had pulled away from her. Remus himself was still slightly unsure why he pulled away, but something inside him told him '_Not here. Not now._'

"Hermione," he tried to reason, but she interrupted him again.

"It's a one-word answer. Do you want me? Yes or no."

He paused again before he felt it burst out of his lips.

"Yes…" he said breathlessly. She smiled, stepping closer. He stumbled back. "But we can't. Let me explain…"

But once he moved away, once he stepped back, she froze. Appraising him so coldly that he stopped mid-sentence, she gripped the hem of her gown, turned on her heel, and wordlessly started back toward the castle.

"Hermione!" he called, forgetting Ron and Tonks and taking off after her, sliding in the mud. For such a petite frame, she was quick, and he had to sprint to cover the distance.

"Wait," he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. She threw it off wildly.

"Don't touch me," she spat, and her words were filled with ice.

"Where are you going? The ball's over," he said, panting as they came to the stone steps. The fairy lights were gone, as was Snape. Blood was pumping through him as he tried to catch his breath.

She turned to face him.

"I'm going to find Sirius. He gave me a very tempting offer last night, which I have been hesitating to take because of you. But since you're clearly fine with the idea of me being with him, I see no reason now why I shouldn't be. So I'm going to take him up on his offer and I'm going to get shagged rotten by someone who isn't too scared of himself to make a move."

Her cheeks were burning from anger despite the cold wind that was whipping over them with the torrential rain. She could see Filch preparing to close the heavy oak doors and as she turned to glare at Remus, her eyes softened slightly at the sight of his dejected and anguished expression.

She tilted his head up so she could look in his eyes.

"The hard part is going to be trying not to think of you."

He looked hopeful and she smiled slightly.

"I'm not putting my sex life on hold for you anymore, Remus. But if you ever want me, just tell me. I'll be waiting."

As she turned to walk inside, he wanted to scream after her, to let her know that he just needed time, to tell her that he would do anything, _anything_ as long as she didn't sleep with _him_. But the words stuck in his throat. He watched her walk up to Sirius and whisper something in his ear. He watched as that shit-eating grin of his spread across his handsome face.

Lupin snarled slightly.

'_If that's the way you're playing, Padfoot,_' he thought. '_Then game on._'

***

"Aren't you the least bit concerned about Remus?"

Hermione and Sirius were in one of Hogwarts's guest suites. Hermione felt she needed to voice the question even though she was certain it wasn't a topic she needed to go in depth with. Being the kind, concerned person she was, however, she had seen the look on Lupin's face as she walked out of the hall with Sirius. She may have been hormonal and livid with his constant indecision, but she honestly worried that she was making the wrong decision.

Sirius was lounging on the bed, barefoot and grinning as he watched the young witch sit worriedly at his feet.

"Are you?" he asked honestly.

"Well…yes. Sirius, you have to understand that I _do_ care very deeply for him."

Sirius chuckled.

"I don't think you have to worry about me getting the wrong idea about you two. The emotions are painfully obvious."

She frowned slightly.

"Then…why pursue me? Why invite me into your bed?"

He let out his bark of a laugh.

"I suppose on some level, I had hoped the idea of competition would propel him into action. But on a purely selfish level, darling, I really do fancy you. Maybe not with the fervor Remus does, but I don't think you realize just how bloody sexy you are, and _that_ is bloody sexy."

She ignored his compliment.

"I don't want to hurt Remus with…well…whatever we end up doing. Nor do I want to ruin your friendship with him. I'm sure there's something in the Marauder code about sleeping with someone else's girl?"

Sirius smirked, sitting up and crawling over to her. He knelt behind her, letting his fingers dance up her arms as he placed soft butterfly kisses on her shoulders and the nape of her neck.

"Has Remus claimed you as his?" he asked her softly, nipping her earlobe, causing her to shiver involuntarily. "Has he told you that he doesn't want anyone else to touch you, to take you intimately?" His hands were lowering the straps of her dress now and she felt her skin heating up.

"Actually," she managed to say. "He said I shouldn't worry about him if I wanted to date you or anyone else."

"And do you worry? Would you felt guilty if we were to go to bed together tonight?" His lips were on her neck now, his fingers under her chin as he tilted her lips towards his.

"He kissed me tonight, Sirius," she said softly. She felt him pause and she sighed, pulling away slightly. "He kissed me and then he pulled away, telling me we couldn't. I got so mad, Sirius…_that's_ why I came to you…" She trailed off before pulling the straps of her dress back up her arms. "Perhaps I should go."

"I'm gonna kill him, you know," Sirius said and she looked at him as he leaned back, sitting cross-legged behind her. "I really am. He's being a first class ass about everything."

She smiled.

"I suppose he's just being careful," she said. "After all, I'm sure there's a tremendous amount of baggage that comes with dating a werewolf."

He looked at her in disbelief.

"_This_ is the reason why I am going to kill him," he said matter-of-factly. "He approaches you romantically _twice_, spurns your affection _twice_, and you _still_ understand his fucking _stupid_ noble actions despite your own sexual frustrations! He doesn't seem to realize how fucking _perfect_ you are for him! For one, you can tolerate his idiotic ideas of decency and honor even though it directly impacts your own emotions. Un-fucking-believable."

Hermione chuckled slightly, amused by the flush crossing Sirius's angled features, making him look, if it were possible, more handsome.

"If I didn't know better, Sirius," she teased. "I would think you were jealous."

"You bet your gorgeous ass I'm jealous!" he barked. "He has a beautiful, intelligent, caring, generous, _sexy_ witch who cares about him and wants to be with him and he's too stuck in his own head to realize what a bloody lucky bastard he is!"

He ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

"He just doesn't _know_, Hermione," he said. "He doesn't believe he deserves you, which we both know is utter nonsense. I'm just so _pissed_ because this is Lily and James all over again."

Hermione frowned slightly.

"Lily and James? Harry's parents?"

Sirius sighed.

"'Lily and James' was almost 'Lily and Remus,'" Sirius said. "They fancied each other their first couple of years here but of course Remus didn't pursue anything because…well, that's his modus operandi, isn't it? And Lily honestly thought he wasn't interested and turned to the guy who _wasn't_ afraid to pursue her and ended up falling for James. But Remus cared about Lily and she cared about him, right until the end. And it's maddening because I will _not_ be another James for him but I can't help…"

He stopped abruptly, as if his brain was suddenly letting him know what he was saying and to whom he was saying it. He sighed again and smiled slightly at Hermione.

"Remus is being foolish. He'll come around. At least he's kissed you. That seems like a step in the right direction."

"Sirius, do you honestly think he'll wake up on his own? Without coaxing?"

Sirius shrugged, laying back against the bed again.

"For his sake, and yours, I hope so."

"And…" She hesitated slightly. "And what about you?"

He smiled in spite of himself.

"Not only brilliant, but perceptive too. You really are quite remarkable, Hermione." He stretched out his long limbs, putting his hands behind his head. "I suppose I'll just have to wait for the next beautiful, intelligent, caring, generous, sexy witch that crosses my path. In the meantime, though," He wiggled his eyebrows. "I'm in no short supply of willing women."

She rolled her eyes at his grin.

"You're an arrogant ass."

He chuckled before patting the bed beside him.

"C'mon…you can't go back to the dormitory this late unaccompanied and I'm too comfortable to move. Sleep here and you can sneak back early tomorrow."

Laughing but too tired to argue, she agreed. He pointed to an old but clean t-shirt of his for her to change into. She instructed him to turn away as she changed, but she knew he had peeked because as she slipped under the covers he whispered:

"Nice knickers, Granger."

She smacked him soundly.

Wrapping an arm protectively around her, he charmed the candles out and the room was plunged into total darkness.

***

A few hours later, Hermione woke up with a start. It took her a few seconds to register where she was, and she had almost hexed Sirius when he shifted next to her. Then she remembered the night before and became reassured that she wasn't in any immediate danger.

She had awoken from a very vivid dream involving both Remus and Sirius, and a Muggle washing machine. She blushed as she thought of her loud moans and she prayed those moans had just been in her dreams. She fell back against the soft pillows, glancing over at Sirius's bare back and resisting the urge to outline his tattoos. The dream brought into sharp focus her lack of sex life and her sexual frustrations with Remus. If only the dreams weren't so vivid and lewd.

Caught in her thoughts, Hermione jumped as she heard Sirius's gruff voice.

"Perhaps you should head back to the tower," he said.

She smiled.

"Sick of me already?"

"No," he said, turning to face her, his eyes hooded. "It's just that you were moaning both mine and Remus's names in your sleep and I can smell your desire from here. I respect you, Hermione, but a man only has so much self-control."

Normally, (not to say that the particular situation fell anywhere near the category of 'normal' in Hermione's life) she would have blushed furiously at the idea of being caught before making a hasty exit. However, since she could feel the blood pooling to her loins at the sight of his half-asleep, disheveled, lust-filled appearance, she threw caution to the wind.

"Fuck self-control, Sirius," she growled, and kissed him forcefully.

Hermione felt his hands on her immediately, and within seconds the t-shirt was gone. Picking her up and straddling her over his hip, Sirius sat up, kissing her passionately as his hands splayed over her bare back, getting caught in the amber curls that tumbled over her shoulders.

His lips moved down to her breasts, lavishing them with attention as he caught a nipple roughly in him mouth. Arching her back, Hermione bucked against the hard muscle prodding her sensitive nether regions. Separated only be two pieces of _very_ thin material, Hermione felt a lustful, hungry tug within her before pulling Sirius's lips back up to meet hers, kissing him violently.

"I need you inside of me _now_," she breathed.

He pushed her underwear to the side as she released him from his pajama pants. She lifted her hips and lowered herself slowly onto him. She heard him suck in a deep breath.

"Jesus, 'Mione," he murmured. "So fucking tight…God, you feel so _good_…"

His breaths were heavy as he tried to regain some semblance of self-control while Hermione, also breathing heavily, adjusted to him. When she felt him kissing and nipping her shoulders, she started to move.

She had planned to start slow, letting her body get used to the intimate feeling again. Her body, however, was not interested in going slowly. Soon, she was riding him with reckless abandon, running her hands up her sides and touching her own body as the delirious feeling of pleasure tingled through her.

Sirius gripped her hips and guided her, adding to her movements with small thrusts of his own. He was limited by their position, however, and once he felt he was about to die from the erotic sight of her touching her own body while riding him, he mustered all his strength and flipped them over, landing heavily on top of her soft curves.

Taking advantage of the pause, he brought her legs up to his shoulders, ripping her underwear off her before kissing her slim ankle. Kicking his pajama pants down and off, he maneuvered between her legs and thrust into her waiting and needing body.

"Sirius…" she hissed, arching her back as the new position forced him deeper than before, hitting that spot within her that caught her breath.

She felt her stomach start to tense and her toes start to curl. Sirius, his own control quickly slipping, slid his hand between their joined bodies and rubbed at her sensitive nub.

"Fuck! Oh shit…Sirius!" she moaned, arching her back again as she came hard. Sirius groaned as he walls clamped around him, and he jerked as he came deep inside her. He took soft thrusts, letting her orgasm linger as she tried to catch her breath.

Collapsing on top of her, Sirius was glad he had had the foresight to put up silencing charms the night before. He had been amazed by how loud she was. He was even more amazed by how _good_ she was. He knew Ron had mentioned her outstanding bedroom skills, but never in his wildest dreams had he imagined her to be so brazen and unflinchingly sensual.

He smirked. Well, maybe in his _wildest_ dreams.

Her voice, however, shattered through the post-coital haze and into his lull of blissful mindlessness.

"I think," she said, her voice back to its normal matter-of-fact tone. "That this might complicate things."


	11. Chapter 11: Secrets and Decisions

A/N: I appreciate all the feedback for the past 5-10 chapters, and I know how anxious a lot of you are about a potential Remus/Hermione/Sirius pairing. As undeniably sexy as that would be (and I tantalizingly foreshadow a ménage a trios fic sometime soon), the Remus in my story would be a bit too possessive and I don't want to break up the beautiful Marauder friendship. I'll play with it, but not destroy it.

Anyway, thanks, and I hope you enjoy the next installment!

**Chapter Eleven: Keeping Secrets and Making Decisions**

Sirius didn't know whether or not to laugh at her observation. He rolled off her slowly, propping himself up on his side to look at her. She was quite an immodest picture of the ravished lover. Her hair haloed her head as the moonlight danced over her bare chest. Sirius let his fingers trail up her arm, drawing lazy circles on her shoulder.

"I don't think this has helped the situation, if that's what you mean," he said finally. "But still…I don't regret it."

He didn't ask if she did and uncharacteristically, she didn't volunteer an answer.

"I suppose it was bound to happen sometime," she said. "If not with you then maybe someone else. I haven't been running because the weather's been foul so it was only a matter of time before all the repressed sexual energy bubbled up to the surface."

She ran her hand absently over her chest, eyebrows knit, biting her lower lip in silent contemplation.

Sirius couldn't help but smile.

"I should have realized that even your pillow talk was academic," he said, running a finger down the center of her chest and over her stomach to her navel.

"Do try to be serious for a moment, and I mean the state of being, not the person," she said, smiling slightly as the clarification stopped what was inevitably a cheeky comment. "We honestly need to discuss this. If you remember, this wasn't supposed to happen."

He arched an eyebrow.

"I think this is the first time in my life that I'm going to say this, but I didn't start this and I actually tried to prevent it from happening," he said.

She smirked slightly.

"That's true."

They fell into an easy silence as his restless fingers circled her navel before dancing back up her body. She lay still, gazing at the ceiling but not really looking at it. Sirius could almost hear her brain humming with thought as she continued to bite her lip.

"Hermione," he finally said in a soothing tone as he raised himself up, looking down at her. "Don't worry about it so much. Everything's fine. If you want, we can pretend like nothing happened. We just…oh, I don't know…helped each other out, I suppose. You needed release and I needed…" He trailed off, looking down at the sheet before smiling back at her. "Well, I needed you. But I'm fine," he added as a look of concern crossed her face. "Don't worry about me."

"I honestly didn't want to use you, Sirius," she said sincerely. "When I thought that all you wanted was meaningless sex, then I was all for it, but when you said…well, what you said last night, I didn't want to…" She trailed off, and he understood her.

"It's just sex, Hermione," he said with a smile. "No emotions. I understand that. Hell, I'm the _king_ of meaningless sex!"

She smirked.

"Don't worry about me," he whispered, leaning down and brushing his lips over her shoulder. "I heal easily."

She sighed, letting her eyes drift closed.

"You better rest up, Sirius," she said, feeling him lay back against the pillows. "I'm not nearly ready to walk out of that door."

He grinned to himself.

"Don't worry, love," he said arrogantly. "I'll make sure you leave nice and relaxed."

***

Remus paced in his rooms.

Well, in all honesty, the wolf within Lupin was forcing him to pace in his rooms. Mooney was enraged and Remus was trying his hardest not to let the wolf side of him crash into his conscience. He knew that he would undoubtedly do something stupid.

Like track Hermione down, cornering her in a quiet hallway.

Or confess his love for her and his undying devotion.

Or go to Sirius's room and tear the cocky son-of-a-bitch limb from limb.

While Mooney was willing to go rampaging through Hogwarts to appease both his lust and his rage, Remus knew that physically assaulting his best friend and scaring the living daylights out of the woman he loved was probably not the best way to go about things.

So he paced.

That night had been so restless that by three or four o'clock in the morning he had given up on sleep altogether and had pulled out an ancient, tattered book of children's stories written completely in ancient runes. He found that translating helped him focus his mind so that he could fall asleep quicker, but after an hour and a half of translating _Beedle the Bard Goes to Prussia_, he gave up on that too.

He paced and read for a few more hours before he felt the sun peek over the horizon. Feeling it appropriate to start moving outside his rooms, he bustled around making himself tea, stealing glances out at the lake. But he knew she wasn't going to be running. She hadn't run in weeks, and he was certain she was probably lying peacefully in Sirius's arms.

That thought made Mooney growl, and Remus turned his attention back to his tea.

Figuring that either fatigue or fornication would keep Hermione away from breakfast, he decided to go down to the Great Hall to eat. He had been accurate in his assessment, as very few students had braved the chill of the castle so soon after scurrying into the warm arms of exhaustion. Remus ate his toast in peace, finding he didn't have much of an appetite for anything. He was grateful to Dumbledore, who pretended that nothing was amiss as he questioned Professor Sprout about her newest Herbology projects.

After breakfast, Mooney's restlessness returned with a vengeance. Deciding against going back to his rooms as he knew it would just make the wolf more anxious, Remus headed out to the grounds. He figured the fresh air and exercise would help him focus on how he was going to face both Sirius and Hermione that night at dinner.

"Hello, professor!"

Remus turned around to see Ron and Harry, exceptionally bright-eyed for that hour of the morning, loping towards him with their brooms over their shoulders. Remus paused, letting the two young men catch up with him as they walked towards the Quidditch field.

"What brings you boys out so early?" Remus asked.

"Quidditch practice," Harry replied with a grin, nodding to his broom as if it were obvious.

"You're getting an early start. Your next match isn't for another three months."

"Yeah, well, Harry's almost as bad as Oliver Wood and Angelina Johnson put together," Ron grumbled, for though he was alert and aware Remus was certain that he would have preferred a few more hours of sleep to recover from his antics the night before.

"I don't know why you're complaining. You collapsed as soon as your head hit the pillow and you had a good eight hours of sleep. I don't understand why you're so tired," Harry replied, slightly put off by Ron's comparison of him to the two tyrannical former Gryffindor Quidditch captains.

Ron mumbled something that sounded like "busy night," but didn't elaborate any further.

Remus and Harry chatted a bit about the night before, chuckling together at the dramatic nature of Bill, Kingsley, Dean, Seamus, and Lavender's duel. They even shared a hearty laugh at Snape's expense, as the idea of him on bended knee begging for Harry's help was laughable in the ease of hindsight.

"So what are you doing out here so early, professor?" Ron asked as Harry ducked into the changing rooms to prepare for practice. "When Tonks and I finally walked back towards the castle, you two had taken off. What happened?"

"Nothing," Remus lied. "We just figured that after midnight, Snape was no longer a threat and you were both old enough to get yourselves back to your own rooms."

"Yeah, I guess," Ron said contemplatively. "Still, I honestly thought you two might…you know…talk things over."

Remus looked at him sharply.

"What do you mean?"

For the first time in all the years Remus had known the young redhead, Ron rolled his eyes at him.

"Look, I know you're trying to be noble and everything, but quite honestly, we've all been wondering when you're just going to put aside your issues and just _go for it_, mate. I mean…" He lowered his voice even though Remus was certain no one was around to hear them. "It's not like she's underage, and it's not like we're not expecting it, and it's not like either of you are the type to really flaunt it about, you know?"

"Ron, I really don't know…"

"Look," Ron interrupted, sounding so stern that Remus almost thought of Arthur. "She's one of my best mates, alright? I know how she feels about you. And you may say that it's a schoolgirl crush, or a child's fancy, or whatever excuses you've been telling yourself, but at some point you gotta admit to yourself that she's _not_ a child, nor is she your average schoolgirl. Plus, you should know her well enough to know that when she _does_ decide to pursue someone, it's not without a lot of prior planning and research. She doesn't fall easily, but when she does, she does it generously, with her heart open, and with all of the risks and problems firmly planted in that ridiculously large brain of hers."

Remus just looked at the young man, who seemed to realize what he had said and to whom, as his ears started to burn red. Mumbling his good-byes, he made a quick dive for the changing rooms, leaving Remus alone by the Quidditch field.

Starting back up to the castle, Remus had to admit that he had never expected such an impassioned lecture from Ron Weasley. Perhaps from Harry, but never from Ron. He supposed that the time they had spent during their extra lessons had emboldened Ron more than anything else.

His mind quickly flew to what Ron had said. Could he dare to hope that her feelings were as strong as his? He knew she wanted to be with him – she had made that abundantly clear the night before. But he had assumed…well…what had he assumed? He knew she would have never sought him out for something frivolous. She had Sirius for that. And like Ron said, he knew her well enough to know that she wasn't going to overlook the problems that might arise should they decide to start a relationship.

So what was he waiting for?

"Professor!"

For the second time, Remus turned at the sound of his title. A short, bouncing head of long red hair was weaving its way through a crowd of Ravenclaw first-years and it took a few seconds for him to register that it was Ginny Weasley.

"Hello Miss Weasley," he said with a kind, yet slightly puzzled smile. He had spent a lot of time with Harry and Hermione due to his duty as the unofficial yet infinitely less impetuous godfather to the former, and his literary and intellectual commonality, not to mention passionate attraction, to the latter. While pleasant enough company, Remus had never found common ground with any of the Weasleys, Ginny included.

"Really, professor, I think you've spent enough time with me to call me Ginny," she said in a way that reminded Remus of Molly.

"Alright, Ginny. What can I do for you this morning?"

"Well, I need to talk to you about Harry."

Remus immediately frowned worriedly.

"Is he alright? I just saw him and he seemed fine…"

She brushed his comment away.

"He's fine now. I'm talking about last night, when he was dueling Snape."

"_Professor_ Snape," Remus found himself saying automatically.

She rolled her eyes unblushingly, and he had to smile at her bravado. He supposed, growing up the youngest of seven _and_ the only girl, she needed to have a bit of everything in order to survive amongst a family of such unique personalities.

"Look, he would kill me for telling you this, but he's having a lot of trouble with Snape. And I don't just mean with the duel last night. Snape's behavior to Harry both in class and out has escalated to a level that is absolutely ridiculous. And then last night…"

She paused, and he knew that she was debating whether or not to betray a trust.

"Harry…saw some things. From Snape's memory. And it haunted him. I mean, we left the ball after the duels simply because he was so disturbed by it." She took a deep breath before saying, "What do you know about Snape and Harry's mother?"

Remus opened his mouth to say something vague, but closed it quickly. He had known, better than anyone, about Snape's unrequited love for Lily Evans. It had been one of the only places he had common ground with the sullen, greasy-haired student. It had been one of the reasons why he never questioned Dumbledore's motives of inviting Snape into the Order of the Phoenix. Snape wanted justice for Lily Evans almost as much as Harry.

"It's…complicated," Remus finally said to the increasingly-impatient redhead. "There are a lot of emotions involved that I'm not really at liberty…"

"If Snape and Harry's mother were involved, I think Harry has a right to know," Ginny said. "After all, he's been absolutely revolting toward Harry ever since he got here and I for one am getting sick of watching the blatant injustice…"

"Ginny," Remus interrupted kindly, seeing her cheeks start to pink, once again reminding him of Molly, especially when she was yelling at the twins. "If you have a problem with how Professor Snape interacts with Harry, why don't you talk to Professor Snape?"

She scoffed.

"Do you think I would give him that kind of ammunition against Harry? 'Mr. Potter can't seem to fight his own battles. His girlfriend came down to speak with me…' Oh yeah, I can see that going remarkably well for him."

Remus chuckled.

"Well, in all honesty, I think Severus's problem lies less with Harry and more in what Harry stands for."

Ginny frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Remus smiled sadly.

"Harry looks a lot like James, and while Harry is not really like his father, there is enough of a similarity for Severus to make a reasonable comparison. And as you might or might not know, James and Severus did not get along."

"But that's no reason for him to…"

"I know," he interrupted again as the color flew back to her cheeks. "But some emotions are beyond the realm of human endurance."

She looked up at him and she could see the question in her eyes. He steeled himself, wondering if she heard the conflict in his voice.

"Some emotions don't need to be repressed, professor," she said softly.

Remus silently cursed his own vulnerability.

"I appreciate the sentiment, Ginny, but I assure you that what you're talking about really doesn't concern anyone other than me and Hermione."

"It does, actually," she said. "Hermione is one of my best friends, and I care about her, but if you keep playing around with her emotions, she's going to run off with someone else. And as much as I'd love to see her happy in anyone's arms, I think we all know whose arms we'd rather see her in." She put a caring hand on his forearm. "And she's not the only one we're thinking about, Remus. We'd love to see you happy too, and we know she's the one…"

Unlike Ron, she had the good grace to let the sentence trail off.

"Anyway, I'm late for Quidditch practice. Promise me, though, that if there's something Harry ought to know about Snape and his mother, you'll tell him?"

He smiled slightly.

"You know I can't promise that, Ginny."

She sighed.

"Alright. Have a good day, professor."

Remus watched her as she disappeared out of the Entrance Hall. He couldn't help but smile at the thought that both Arthur and Molly had unintentionally surfaced in the forms of their two youngest children.

Renewed, Remus started back towards his rooms. Consequences be damned. He would deal with Sirius later if he had to. Tonight would be the night that all those unspoken thoughts would come to light. Tonight, Hermione would be his.


	12. Chapter 12: Gryffindor Girls' Confession

**Chapter Twelve: Gryffindor Girls' Confessions**

"Oh my God."

Ginny's voice had carried down the Gryffindor table as Hermione skidded through the large oak doors, subtly adjusting her shirt as she hurried toward the table.

Removing herself from Sirius's lustful grasp earlier that morning had proven extremely difficult, considering how he had taken her insatiably several times over the few hours they had spent together. When she had finally wiggled out of his clutches and made it back to the Gryffindor tower, the rest of the castle was waking up. Glad that her position as Head Girl allowed her to have her own quarters, she had slipped in unnoticed as lazy footsteps had padded down toward the common room, past her door.

Hermione had lowered herself into a hot bath to soothe her muscles, but the lack of sleep had caught up with her and she had fallen into a dreamless state in her bathtub. She had woken with the unpleasant sensation of being very wet, very cold, and upon looking at her watch, very _late_ for lunch. Breakfast, she knew, was negligible. If she missed lunch, however, she knew there would be awkward questions.

Now, sitting down and digging into the roast chicken and mashed potatoes, she avoided the gaze of her friend down the table.

"What?" Harry asked his girlfriend, also looking down the table at Hermione.

"Nothing," Ginny said quickly, and turned back to her own food.

After lunch, however, Ginny almost dragged Hermione back up to the tower. Casting an anti-eavesdropping spell and locking the door of Hermione's room, she rounded on her older friend.

"You've just had a night of unbelievable sex," she stated confidently, her eyes bright.

Hermione blinked.

"How on earth…"

"Never mind that. My question is, who did you shag? It obviously wasn't Lupin, because I saw him this morning. If it's either of my twin brothers, though, please do not elaborate."

"Oh. Um…well…it was Sirius."

Ginny smirked.

"I knew it! Was he as fantastic as his reputation suggests? How did it happen? I want to know everything!"

Hermione took a deep breath and told Ginny about the night before. She told her about Tonks and Ron dragging Remus and her to keep guard, and their kiss and his subsequent rejection. She told her how she had been so frustrated that she had left Lupin in no doubt that she was going to sleep with Sirius. She told Ginny about the conversation she and Sirius had had while sitting on his bed, and what he had said about Lily and Remus.

Then she told Ginny about the sex.

"He's definitely talented," Hermione said as Ginny looked at her expectantly. "I mean, he knows what he's doing and it felt incredible, you know, to _finally_ have an outlet. It was good...we had a lot of fun…and a lot of sex…but…" She trailed off, trying to figure out how to explain it.

"It was great, you know, don't get me wrong. I don't regret it. But there was something…I don't know…missing. I suppose it was that spark of total and complete _emotional_ bonding. It was so…physical. I'm not complaining, because it was exactly what I needed, but…"

She trailed off again. How could she explain the guilt she felt as she lay panting, physically satisfied but her heart longing for a different wizard? How was she going to explain that she missed Lupin even more as she lay in Sirius's arms? How could she miss something she'd never really ever had?

"You feel that, despite Lupin's consistent rejection, sleeping with Sirius didn't solve the emotional urge you have every time you think about him, however pleasant the physical experience with Sirius may have been," Ginny said softly, looking into the empty grate that, when lit, gave the small room a warm glow.

"Yes," Hermione said, looking wide-eyed and slightly impressed at her younger friend's ability to express the exact conflict of emotions she was feeling. "Come on, spill it. How do you always know?"

Ginny sighed before standing up and starting to pace.

"I'm about to tell you something I've never told _anyone_," she said, looking at Hermione. "And I want your word that you will _never_ tell a soul, _especially_ not Ron and Harry."

Hermione hesitated. There wasn't a lot that she didn't tell Ron and Harry, but over the years she and Ginny had developed as special bond. The only two girls in an almost impenetrable boys' club, Hermione and Ginny stuck close to each other and had learned to rely on the other's discretion. Therefore, Hermione agreed to Ginny's plea for silence.

Ginny took a deep breath.

"Harry…wasn't my first," she said.

"First what?" Hermione asked blankly.

Ginny rolled her eyes.

"My _first_, Hermione. Harry wasn't my _first_."

"Oh!" Hermione said, and blushed at her own ignorance.

"You knew that I'd fancied Harry for ages," Ginny continued. "But your advice had always been to wait it out, you know, date other boys until he came around. So…I did. But once I started dating Dean and things started to get physical, I realized that as much as Dean was pleasant enough as a lover, he just wasn't Harry."

She took another deep breath.

"So…I know how it feels," she said almost conspiratorially. "I know how it feels to be with one person physically only to want another person all the more after the fact."

Hermione didn't say anything for several minutes. The revelation that Ginny hadn't actually saved herself for Harry like they all assumed was still a little hard to swallow, but Hermione appreciated Ginny more for admitting this secret to her with the express intent on making Hermione feel better about her own emotions. She wanted to say something comforting, or even return the trust with a deep secret of her own, but she couldn't think of anything she hadn't already told her friend.

Ginny already knew Hermione's story of losing her virginity. It had been with Viktor right before he had left Hogwarts her fourth year. (She couldn't think of the Restricted Section the same way anymore either.) She had actually been the first from the trio to take that step, followed a few months later by Harry with Cho, and then Ron, in a moment of weakness, with Luna.

"I…I don't suppose it would help, telling the other person the truth," Hermione asked.

Ginny shrugged, sitting on the bed.

"Dunno. I'm not entirely sure Harry doesn't know, or at least suspect. He never asked and I never really told him, but he and Dean talked, you know? When Harry and I _did_ start sleeping together, it all happened so suddenly that there really wasn't time for those questions."

"Well," Hermione said with a sigh. "I suppose I'm glad that Sirius is going back to London tomorrow. I just have to get through dinner with him tonight, and it'll all be over."

"D'ya reckon he really is alright with the whole 'just sex' thing?" Ginny asked worriedly.

"I dunno. I thought so. But you can never really tell with Sirius."

"That's true. Maybe he was just faking his emotions. I mean, he _is_ something of a cad with women. Maybe he just said he really fancied you to make you a bit guilty about it all. Guilty sex is the best."

Hermione had a sneaking suspicion that there was more behind that comment, but she decided not to pursue it.

Sensing that their rapid exit from the Great Hall and disappearance into Hermione's room would raise some questions from the boys, Ginny and Hermione decided to go back to the common room in order to head them off. They came down just in time to see Harry's untidy black hair climb through the portrait hole, followed quickly by Ron.

"What the hell was that about?" Ron asked, bewildered, as he saw the two witches coming towards them.

"What?" Ginny asked innocently.

Harry chuckled.

"I know that look, Ginerva," he said, ignoring the scathing look she sent his way. "You two have been talking about something secret. Come on. Out with it."

"If it's secret, it's not likely we'll be sharing it, is it?" Ginny said hotly, still stung by Harry's use of her full name.

"Come off it. Hermione tells us everything. If you don't then she will," Ron said, leading the four of them to the couch by the fire.

"Oh will I? Says who?" Hermione asked amusedly as she sat next to Ron.

"I don't think there's anything you haven't told us," Ron said. "I think we know more about you than your own parents."

"Well, I won't argue with that," she replied with a sigh. As much as she loved her parents, there were some things they would never understand about her and her world, and one of the things being her sudden obsession with wizards twenty years her senior.

"Well?" Harry said when Hermione didn't elaborate. "Come on. What were you two talking about that was so secret?"

"We were just talking about last night," Ginny said. "You and I left the ball, remember? I wanted to know how the Weird Sisters were."

"Bollocks," Ron chortled. "If that were it there wouldn't be a problem talking about it with us."

"And since when are you to decide what I talk about with my friends, Ronald?" Ginny asked, gearing for a fight.

"Oh honestly, the pair of you," Hermione said, giving Ginny a look that read 'Might-as-well-tell-them-because-they're-won't-let-up-until-we-do.' Ginny shrugged, waving her hand dismissively. Hermione felt slightly guilty, as she had shared the information with Ginny in confidence. Ginny had to know, however, that Hermione would eventually tell the boys.

In hushed tones, she relayed previous night's adventures to her two friends, trying to keep the dirty details to a minimum. By the time she was done, however, Harry was frowning and Ron's eyebrows had disappeared beneath his bangs.

"That bugger! Lupin said nothing happened between you last night!"

Hermione frowned.

"You spoke with him?"

Ron nodded.

"This morning. Said you and he had left us last night because you didn't think Snape would come down after midnight. Didn't say anything about kissing you. But…you and _Sirius_?" he said incredulously. "Well, that's a surprise, I must say."

"More of a surprise than you and Tonks?" Ginny asked politely.

Ron blushed, but added nothing as Dean, Seamus, Parvati and Lavender walked over.

"You lot have fun last night?" Dean asked, settling himself on the floor at their feet. When Harry and Ginny had started dating he had been slightly upset about his roommate and his ex-girlfriend. He had managed to get over it, however, and from what Seamus had let slip at the beginning of term, Dean had spent the summer in the south of France getting drunk with as many good-looking Muggle girls as he could get his hands on.

"We had a quiet night, but Ron and Hermione stayed at the ball," Ginny said, smiling brightly as Ron shot her a dark look.

"Did you? We didn't see you after you left Madeline Daniels sobbing in a corner," Lavender said coolly to Ron.

"Look, she completely overreacted," he said, his ears starting to turn red. "I went to get us drinks, I bumped into Kingsley and we started talking. I walked back a few minutes later than I intended and she was sobbing like a maniac!"

"_A few minutes later?_" Lavender screeched. "You left her alone for half an hour, you insensitive git!"

"Yeah, well, it's not like I thought there was going to be that big of an issue," Ron replied, crossing his arms.

Parvati chuckled.

"I think she ended up feeling a bit better about the evening toward the end," she said with a smile. "I saw her snogging Seamus as I was coming back up to the tower."

"Was tha' who it was?" Seamus said groggily, and they could tell that he was nursing a massive hangover. "Bill and Kingsley had some firewhiskey on 'em last night, an' I lost track 'a how much I drank. All I know is, I woke up this morning with a wicked headache an' lipstick smudges all over me shirt."

"Well done, mate," Ron said with a chuckle. "At least you ended up snogging someone decent-looking this time. Remember last year's Christmas party with Romilda Vane?" And they all laughed as Seamus groaned.

"I'll tell ya one thing, Weasley," he said, looking up at Ron. "For a girl as homely as Romilda, she's a tiger of a shag."

Hermione smirked as Ron looked disgusted. Ron should have known from experience that it was always the quiet, unassuming ones that are absolute gems under the covers. It wasn't like he hadn't had his share of quiet bedroom rebels. Ron had always said that Luna was an absolute miracle between the sheets.

And then, of course, there was Hermione.

"You disappeared pretty quickly too, Hermione," Parvati said with a smirk. "Didn't you get invited by _both_ the Weasley twins?"

"I did indeed. But it was just as friends," she assured.

"You know something I've always wondered, Hermione?" Lavender asked, and Hermione knew she was not going to enjoy the question. "You haven't had a boyfriend since you've come to Hogwarts. Are you…well…are you still a virgin?"

Ron, who had taken a bite of the chocolate cake he had smuggled back from lunch, choked when he heard this, sending bits of the dessert flying in Hermione's direction. Thinking quickly, the banished them safely away to the wastepaper basket before they hit her.

"That's a bit personal, don't you think?" Ginny asked, barely trying to hide her dislike for the two girls. She always thought they were too silly to be taken seriously.

"Oh come on! She's heard our stories!" Lavender whined.

"I don't see how it's relevant to the conversation," Hermione said. "But if it will appease your curiosity, no, I am not a virgin."

Seamus and Dean excused themselves, slightly red, as Parvati and Lavender squealed. Harry and Ron rolled their eyes at each other and pulled over Harry's set of wizard chess, trying as hard as they could to ignore the conversation.

"You know who _I_ wouldn't mind being a bit naughty with?" Lavender said, eyes twinkling lustfully. "_Professor Lupin_. He's so quiet but he seems like the wild type."

"Plus, he's a werewolf, so he's got that animalistic edge to him," Parvati added.

Hermione sighed, but Ginny, sensing she could have some fun with the two girls, smirked.

"Well, I don't know about his bedroom talents, but when Hermione and I lived with him and Sirius Black this summer, we were able to see them outside the academic setting, which was nice," she said as innocently as she could, but even Ron and Harry, who were feigning deafness, couldn't fight a smile from the impish undertone.

Hermione also couldn't help the grin on her face as both Lavender and Pavarti rounded on Ginny, asking what it was like to live with the two handsome Marauders, and if she ever saw them without a shirt on, and if either of them were currently seeing anyone. Hermione hid her face with this last question, knowing that the blush there would be hard to explain.

Ginny, who had always been slightly more creative and manipulative than Hermione, seemed to thoroughly enjoy herself as she weaved tales of mild debauchery that Hermione was certain had not occurred while _she_ was living at number 12 Grimmauld Place. Soon, as Hermione stood in order to get ready for the dinner, she could feel herself slightly heated by Ginny's detailed description of Lupin coming out of a shower. She was confident that Ginny hadn't _actually_ caught Lupin coming out of a shower, as the simple geography of the house made it nearly impossible. Ginny rarely ventured much higher than Hermione's room and Lupin's was two floors above hers. But the young woman's description was so highly imaginative that Hermione had to wonder if Ginny really _had_ seen Lupin, dipping wet, muscles rippling, as he stepped out of the bathroom.

As she walked back to her room, distracted, she didn't feel Harry's eyes on her, nor did she see the worried look that the boys exchanged with each other. They knew how Lupin felt about her, and they were certain that she still cared deeply for Lupin. But as they both turned back to the game of chess, their brains synched the same thought:

'_What about Sirius?_'


	13. Chapter 13: Finally

**Chapter Thirteen: Finally**

Lupin was pacing again and this time, it was both the man and the wolf.

He was pacing at the foot of the large marble staircase, his dark gray dress robes swishing behind him as he turned, walking back and forth. The dinner was meant to be a formal acknowledgment of the recruits' efforts, so formal attire was required. He ignored the curious faces that peeked down at him from time to time over the banister. His mind was caught up with one thing: Hermione. He needed to speak with her right away and nothing, not even nosy students, was going to stop him.

Dumbledore had planned for the Order dinner to be after the school's dinner, so Remus was pacing just as the final stragglers were leaving the Great Hall, gossiping wildly about the Order dinner. Remus supposed they assumed it would be a smaller version of the ball the night before, and wanted to witness the frivolity. Part of him wished that Dumbledore had just left last night as a set of duels, without the ball, because it seemed to make light of something very serious. But he knew that the ball was necessary. Nobody would want to go to bed after witnessing something like that.

"Mooney! What are you doing skulking at the bottom of the stairwell?" a jovial voice sounded, and Remus looked up to see Sirius, his light blue dress robes bringing out the mischief in his eyes.

"Just waiting," Remus said evasively.

"How long have you been here? People shouldn't start coming down for another fifteen minutes or so."

"I just…I was just ready, so I came down…why are you here so early?"

"Me? Just wanted to be the first to the firewhiskey, mate. You know me. Plus, I figured I would catch…someone…before I went in."

Remus felt his heart sink.

"You want to speak with Hermione," he said dully.

"Well, yeah, I suppose. I mean, I thought we could go through an official…debriefing…before I leave."

Sirius smiled at what he assumed was his own private joke. Mooney, however, was not impressed and before Remus could reign in his werewolf, he had pushed Sirius against the wall.

"You think you're so clever, don't you," he spat at his startled friend.

"Remus…what are you doing?" Sirius said, trying to laugh it off but coughing as Remus shoved him harder against the wall.

"You waltz in here and all of a sudden, it's like we're back here at Hogwarts. A pretty girl walks by and there you are, ready, willing, and able to provide her with everything her heart desires. Until you get bored, or another pretty girl walks by. Well, I will _not_ stand by while you toy with her and break her heart."

"Remus," Sirius said, finally pulling himself from his friend's firm grip. "I don't know what you're talking…"

"_You fucked Hermione Granger_," Lupin said softly, his gray eyes flickering an amber warning as he tried to keep the wolf down.

Whether by habit or ignorance, Sirius gave Lupin the cocky half-smile that said to those who didn't know him that their assumptions of him were completely wrong. The only problem was, Remus knew that smile all too well and it proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that his assumptions were quite correct.

"Mooney, I don't know what you've been smoking but I certainly want you to start sharing."

Remus growled.

"Don't pull that with me, Sirius," he said sharply. "I know that smile. I was around when you _invented_ that smile. Don't insult my intelligence and send it my way."

Sirius's grin faltered.

"Look, Remus…I don't know what you're thinking but…"

"She _told_ me, Sirius."

Sirius blinked.

"She did? When?"

"Last night."

Sirius frowned.

"Last night? But…"

"After the ball, before she walked over to you. She said she was going to get shagged rotten by someone who wasn't too scared of himself to make a move." He took a menacing step forward. "And you just had to step in. Like Prince fucking Charming."

Sirius, noting the questioning looks they were getting from the students that were milling around, grabbed Remus firmly by the forearm and pulled him out of the Entrance Hall into a broom cupboard.

"Get control of yourself, man. There are children around," Sirius said, a slight note of panic in his voice.

Remus took a deep breath, willing the beast down. It worried him that it was getting harder and harder to control Mooney, especially when things involved Hermione. What worried him more was that this was the first time he had truly felt possessive. He knew the danger of Mooney taking ownership of something that was not truly his.

"I'm fine," Remus said in a flat voice, standing up straight only to bump his head on the ceiling.

"Remus…you can't keep doing this to yourself, mate," Sirius said, placing what he intended to be a calming hand on his friend's shoulder. Remus, however, shrugged it off quickly.

"You didn't seem to care much last night when you took her back to your room," he snapped. Though his calm exterior was back, he was still very, _very_ angry at the fact that his friend had been so thoughtless.

"Mooney, if I honestly thought you would make a move, I would have stepped aside," Sirius said, running a hand through his hair. "As it happened, once we were _in_ my room, Hermione said that you had kissed her, which took away some of the magic of the moment."

Remus looked up.

"So…you didn't have sex last night?"

Sirius hesitated. On the one hand, he knew Hermione had said they should both forget it ever happened. On the other, he hadn't intended for his best friend to be asking him point-blank so soon after the fact.

His silence, however, spoke for him.

"I should have known," Remus said angrily. "You just couldn't help yourself, could you?"

"Look, Remus, it just happened. Neither of us intended for it to happen. In fact, we spent a fair amount of time talking about why it _shouldn't_ happen."

"But it did anyway. Big surprise, that."

"What would you have done? She's a beautiful, intelligent, kind, caring, _sexy_ young witch who was laying half-naked and panting _in my bed_. Even _you_ don't have the self-control for something like that, mate."

Remus winced. He didn't need to know the details.

"Look, we better head out. Are you going to be alright?" Sirius asked.

"Oh yeah. Simply giddy," Remus replied sullenly.

"I don't know what your problem is, man. She wants _you_. The only reason she wanted _me_ last night was because I was the closest willing male body she could find. I guarantee if you hadn't pushed her away last night, you would have the scratch marks on your back."

Lupin couldn't help his curiosity.

"Scratch marks, eh?"

Seeing that he was slowly getting out of the hot water he had splashed into, Sirius allowed himself a smirk.

"She's a wild cat, Mooney. Just your type, if I remember correctly."

Stepping out of the broom cupboard, the two walked to the bottom of the stairs again. From the silence surrounding them, it seemed the other students had grown bored with waiting for anything interesting to happen and had disappeared back to their common rooms.

"I'll leave you to it," Sirius said. "And you better not fuck it up this time, or I really _will_ steal her away."

Remus scoffed.

"I'd like to see you try."

Sirius smirked.

"Mooney, my friend, I'm Sirius Black." And he walked away without any further discussion.

"Remus?"

Lupin turned back to the staircase and his breath hitched in his throat as he saw Hermione, flanked by Dean, Seamus, and Ron, walking down the staircase wearing a dress of faded gold. The color brought out the highlights in her hair and gave her skin a natural glow. Her big hazel eyes glittered and Remus wondered if he had ever seen her looking so beautiful.

"Hello," he said softly, offering his hand to her as she glided down the last few steps. Thankfully, Ron ushered Dean and Seamus into the Great Hall quickly, both of whom were looking at Lupin with interest.

Taking his hand gingerly, Remus saw Hermione's eyes widen as he brushed his lips over her knuckles, his eyes never leaving hers. He found himself loving the way she blushed.

"You look exquisite, 'Mione," he said, not letting go of her outstretched hand.

"Er…thank you," she said awkwardly. "Um…we should head in, don't you think?"

"Absolutely. Shall we?"

He offered his elbow and, completely stunned, she hesitated for a second. He chuckled.

"I don't bite, you know. Well…not right now."

He heard her gasp imperceptibly as she got both the joke and innuendo. Taking his arm, she looked up at him quizzically, as if trying to understand what exactly was happening and what alternate universe had she had suddenly dropped into.

He wanted to tell her everything, but seeing her looking so stunning he knew he couldn't without wanting to kiss her again. Knowing that they had at least two hours of pleasantries and company to contend with, getting her alone would be difficult. He wondered if Tonks and Ron fancied another shag behind Hagrid's cabin, but he supposed that since Hagrid had come back from yet another parley with the giants that morning, (this time bruise-free thanks to Grawp's powerful influence) they probably didn't want to risk it.

"Remus," Hermione said softly to him before they entered the Great Hall.

"Yes?"

"There's something I need to tell you before we go in."

He could feel her guilt and it endeared her to him even more.

"I don't need to know," he said honestly.

"I think you do."

"Does it have to do with Sirius?"

"Yes."

"Then I already know. And I don't need to know anymore."

She looked up into his eyes.

"What does that mean?"

He wanted to kiss her. She looked up at him so innocently, her eyes so full of longing and hope that he almost did kiss her. But they were about to enter the Great Hall, and the sound of happy laughter coming from the members of the Order and the Hogswart recruits made him highly aware of how awkward and inappropriate that action would be.

"It means," he said softly. "That I want you. You told me to tell you when I was ready. I'm telling you now."

"Are you sure? I don't think I could handle it if you walked away from me one more time."

"Trust me, darling. I've never been more sure of how I felt about you as I did when I thought I'd lost you to someone else."

The smile that spread across her face showed him that she had excused his absolutely clichéd answer and instead she held his arm a little tighter. He stood close, knowing that he wanted to wrap his arms around her but knowing that the time wasn't right for it.

As they entered, they were ambushed by what seemed like a red-haired monster.

"Remus Lupin! You of all people should have known better than to use those awful curses on my child!" Remus heard Molly screech as he was pulled into a rib-crushing hug. "I've already had a few words with Sirius and Ron, but you should have been the voice of reason! I've always counted on you for that."

"Er…Molly…" Remus said, the irony of her words versus her actions not escaping him as he gasped for air.

"And Hermione! To think they could torture someone who has been so kind to them!"

Remus felt air fill his lungs again as Mrs. Weasley pulled Hermione into the same iron-tight grip. He watched as Hermione patted the older woman comfortingly.

"Now Molly, I told you that if Dumbledore thinks it was for the best, we must trust his opinion," Mr. Weasley, who had been standing to the side watching, said as he wrenched Hermione from his wife's grip.

Mrs. Weasley pursed her lips.

"Yes, well…Dumbledore has an enormous amount of faith…perhaps a bit too much…" But she didn't elaborate further.

Hermione slid past the older woman to Remus, eager to get out of the line of fire as she heard Mrs. Weasley go for Harry, who had just walked into the hall. ("Oh you poor dear! I could have _killed_ Severus for what he put you through. You're still so pale, dear, you really don't eat enough.") The two smiled as Charlie went rushing past to help his father remove Harry from his mother's grip.

"You got off a right sight better than I did, mate," Remus heard Sirius say, and the pair turned to see him standing next to them, a glass of firewhiskey in his hand. "I felt like I was on the wrong end of Hagrid's Blast-Ended Skrewts."

"I suppose that's because she likes me more," Remus joked, but holding Hermione a bit tighter to him.

"You just keep telling yourself that, Mooney," Sirius said with a smirk before looking at Hermione and sighing. "My dear, if this man decides to continue to be a right ass about everything, please do not hesitate to seek me out," he added, looking her over appreciatively before winking.

Remus growled, and Sirius rolled his eyes at his friend but said nothing.

"Hey you three," Bill said, coming over to them with Fleur. "Wicked times last night, eh?"

"A bit intense, but all around good fun," Sirius said, smirking.

"I 'eard you were quite a powerful force, 'ermione," Fleur said to the younger woman. "Eet was nice to 'ear zat a woman could 'old 'er own against zees old men."

"Who are you calling old?" Sirius joked, making Bill and Fleur laugh.

"What's the laughter all about, eh? We're not supposed to be laughing. This is a very serious dinner, not a party," Tonk's voice piped up as she and Ron joined the conversation.

Remus had never in his life thought he would ever be comfortable in a large crowd of boisterous, fun-loving, popular friends. But there he was, laughing and joking with them as easily as anything. He attributed this comfort to Hermione. She still held his arm, looking up at him adoringly, and he felt on top of the world.

The rest of the dinner was a blur. All he could concentrate on was Hermione, and how her head tilted back slightly as she laughed, showing off her beautiful ivory throat. He noticed how her hands seemed to glide gracefully through the air as she argued with Bill over elf rights. He also noticed how her eye twinkled as she smiled at him. It was a smile he had never seen before, but he knew, somehow, that it was meant only for him.

He walked her back to the tower and in the shadow of the staircase, they kissed softly. He didn't want to let her go back, but he knew he had to. She was his princess, and he was going to be her knight in shining armor. Taking the stairs two at a time on his way back to his rooms, he smiled. He was happier than he had been in years.


	14. Chapter 14: Further Frustration

**Chapter Fourteen: Further Frustration**

Life seemed to proceed fairly normally for the inhabitants of Hogwarts castle after the drama of the Guy Fawkes Duels. With the approaching holiday, the teachers seemed hell bent on making sure their students were adequately bogged down with homework in order to make their Christmas break a little less stressful. As noble as those sentiments were, however, there was a general groan of agony at the end of every lesson as the homework started to pile up.

Only those who knew them best noticed any type of changes in the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and the Head Girl. The two, always the example of decorum, went about life as though nothing out of the ordinary had transpired between them. Only Ginny, Ron, Harry, and a select group of observant professors knew anything had changed between them.

Lupin, always very pleasant in class, had an additional spring in his step that most students attributed to the coming holiday. He laughed more, joked more in class, and even spent a whole lesson with his sixth years discussing his days of fighting in the Order during the first war. Ginny had reported back to the trio that it was the most unintentionally informative lecture she had ever sat through.

Hermione, on the other hand, was just as a busy with her full schedule and homework as she had been before. She spent most of her free time in the library, starting on assignments and researching essays. There was, however, the smallest smile that seemed perpetually glued to her face. Even when she ran across Draco Malfoy and his gang of Slytherins on her way to Potions, her smile never faltered. She simply walked passed them, ignoring their jeers and name-calling.

In the evenings after dinner, Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione would grab their remaining homework and walk out on the grounds towards the Whomping Willow. If Hermione decided to bring Crookshanks, the furry ginger cat would prance beneath the threatening branches and press his paw against the knob at the base, effectively freezing the tree.

If the four didn't bring Crookshanks, they grabbed the nearest stick they could find and prayed that they could touch the knob before being smacked by one of the offended limbs.

The Shrieking Shack had never looked so good in all the years it had stood there. Hermione and Ginny, who had gotten sick of smelling like dust and mold every time they went there, had spent a full weekend cleaning and making it habitable. Remus and the boys had been pleasantly surprised when they arrived that following Monday evening, and after Ginny had yelled at them for traipsing snow through the house, they quickly learned to respect the cleanliness.

Sometimes Harry would run down to the kitchens before they left for the Shrieking Shack in order to get some butterbeer and cakes. Dobby, who was always delighted to see Harry, packed such a large assortment of snacks that Ron had often expressed his regret that he had taken third or fourth helpings at dinner.

Of course, that didn't stop him for eating more than his share of the snacks anyway.

Hermione had transfigured a pile of dirty drapes that had been in the corner into a thick hearth rug. Harry and Ginny had taken to lying on the rug in front of the glowing fire, talking softly as they did their homework together. Having fixed the grand dining table, Hermione and Ron spread out their homework as Remus graded various essays for his classes.

"I don't understand why it's so important to be able to turn a raven into a writing desk," Ron said the night before the end of term, scratching out yet another sentence in frustration with his quill as he tried to complete his Transfiguration homework.

"Because Professor McGonagall has a sense of humor," Lupin replied, more to himself than to the four of them, as he sat next to Hermione looking through essays written by his third-years.

Hermione chuckled, looking up from her Arithmancy homework to correct something on Ron's paper. Mumbling a reluctant 'thank you,' he let his quill give another loud scratch, removing the offending sentence.

"Why is it funny that a raven would turn into a writing desk?" Ginny asked from the hearth. She had finished her homework and was playing with Harry's hair as he lay across her lap, reading his Charms textbook in fixed concentration.

"It's a riddle in a Muggle book. "Why is a raven like a writing desk?" I wouldn't really expect anyone to know it. Don't worry about it," Hermione said to her friend.

"It's from _Alice in Wonderland_, isn't it?" Harry said, speaking for the first time that evening.

Lupin looked at him, slightly impressed.

"You've read it?"

Harry shrugged.

"I saw the film once."

Hermione chuckled again, turning back to her homework. She knew the idea of Muggle stories and films were foreign to Ron and Ginny, but she did appreciate having a bond with Harry when it came to their "other" lives. She was also starting to appreciate Lupin, who had grown up with a Muggle father and therefore knew some of the literature that she used to enjoy when she was young.

As was their custom for so many weeks, Harry, Ginny, and Ron made their way back to the Hogwarts grounds an hour before curfew, leaving Hermione and Lupin to clear up whatever spare pieces of parchment or quills were left untidily strewn around the room.

"I have to admit that this is my favorite part of the day," she said softly as she picked up a crumpled piece of parchment that she remembered being Ron's fifth attempt at his Transfiguration essay.

He looked at her, wondering at his good fortune. In the fading candlelight, she seemed to radiate a golden glow. She had the warmth about her that he hadn't fully appreciated until they started dating.

"I'd be lying if I said it wasn't mine," he replied. "But I could do without stepping in Ginny's unfinished coffee cake."

Hermione chuckled, murmuring "_Scourgify!_" and cleaning up the mess. She enjoyed those peaceful moments with him. She wondered if they had always been so compatible, and whether it had always been so easy for them to fall in synch with each other's movements. From the moment they officially decided to be together, it seemed like everything they did together was in perfect unison, as if they had been doing it for years.

Once the room was relatively neat again, she walked over to him, running her hand down his arm as he put his essays in his bag. He looked down into her eyes, pausing in his movements to appreciate the openness of her face and the devotion in her admiring gaze. He brought his hands to her cheeks, dusting a stray curl away.

"You are beyond beautiful," he whispered, lowering his head and capturing her lips with his.

Hermione melted into his strong arms, loving the feeling of his lips on hers. He was gentle but insistent, and she found herself giving more and more to him every time they kissed. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she let her fingers play with the silky strands of sandy-brown hair, peppered with gray.

His arms coiled around her waist, pulling her closer to him. She was addictive. She tasted like blueberries, both tart and sweet with a dark earthiness. It reminded him of lazy Sunday evenings in the summer, of running freely in the woods around his house, and of the dizzying rush he got every time he jumped from a swing when he was a boy.

Insatiable to the barrage of sensory photographs, he devoured her. Her unique taste consistently transported him to all the pleasant memories he had locked away behind his guilty conscience. She opened him up to the idea of happiness, the idea that life did not need to be lived in the darkness. She reminded him that he was a man, worthy of loving.

He pulled away, and she moaned in protest, her eyes still closed as she pursed her lips, yearning for more. He swallowed the urge to appease her, to devour her again. He knew the wolf was unhappy, and that made the action all the more important. He needed to make sure she knew what she was getting into before it was too late.

"We should go," he said raspily, laying his forehead against hers. "You'll be missed soon."

"Let them miss me," she breathed before claiming his lips with hers, pushing him into the chair and straddling his waist. She could feel his desire against her, and she desired him almost as badly.

"'Mione," he groaned, using every ounce of self-control he had to push her away. She looked at him through hooded eyes, and he caught the lustful fire flashing in the hazel orbs.

"What are you going to do when we're back in London, and you don't have a curfew to use as an excuse?" she asked, standing up and straightening her skirt.

"I'm not using it as an excuse, darling. It's a fact of life for us right now."

"It won't be once we're back at Grimmauld Place."

He smiled slightly.

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, ok?"

Looking around to make sure they didn't miss anything, Lupin picked up both of their bags and they started the walk back to the castle. They usually talked on the way back, discussing their day, and how they were looking forward to the break, but that night neither of them spoke.

He walked her to the portrait of the Fat Lady, and they shared a lingering kiss before he watched her disappear into the common room. During the first few days, the Fat Lady thought this behavior was scandalous. However, once Lupin had mentioned that Dumbledore was aware and approved, she kept quiet, although she pursed her lips disapprovingly every time she saw the couple.

That night, however, she noted the flush of frustration in Hermione's cheeks as she bid Remus good-night, as did Ginny, Harry, and Ron as she stormed into the common room.

"It's maddening!" she shrieked to Ginny, who was lying on the couch, her feet propped up on Harry's lap, as Ron lay on his stomach in front of the fire reading Harry's copy of _Quidditch Through the Ages_. She threw herself one of the overstuffed chairs in a huff.

"What's maddening?" Ginny asked her friend, amused by Hermione's erratic behavior. Hermione was usually the calm one to Ginny's hurricanes of emotion, and it was nice to see the roles reversed.

"The…situation," she said, noting that her shriek of frustration had received some curious looks from Parvati and Lavender. She was sure the two had been noting her late-night comings and goings. She also knew, being the gossips they were, that they were dying to know where she went every night alone.

"I don't understand why you don't use the weekends to your advantage," Harry said as he absently caressed Ginny's leg. "I've already told you both that the map and the cloak are yours if you need them."

"The weather hasn't been very accommodating," Hermione reminded. "And unfortunately, the day of the Hogsmeade trip was the day after…" She paused, seeing Parvati and Lavender's rapt attention. "Well…you know." She drew a circle with her hand.

"Maybe he's just waiting until we're out of school. It's dead awkward, you know, snogging your student," Ginny said. "We're going back to London in a couple of days. Maybe he's waiting for the privacy of Grimmauld Place."

"That's the problem!" Hermione said, louder than she intended, and she shrank into her seat as all eyes turned back to her.

"That's the problem," she said softer. "We haven't even talked about it. I mean, I didn't expect our relationship to get physical _right_ away, but it's almost it's like he's not even _thinking_ about it!"

Ron looked at her, his eyes suspicious.

"You're telling me that we leave you two to your own devices for a full hour _every_ night and you have yet to shag _once_? What the hell do you do? _Talk_?"

"Yes, Ronald," Hermione said, narrowing her eyes slightly at her dubious friend. "We talk. I suppose if you did more of that in your relationships, they would last a little longer."

Ginny and Harry chuckled as Ron made a face and said "Who needs that type of stress?" before turning back to his book.

"I don't know what you're worried about. Once you get back to Grimmauld Place, and Sirius starts flirting with you again, all of his possessive instincts are going to kick into high gear and he'll soon realize what you both want," Ginny said.

Harry grimaced.

"I don't need a play-by-play, thank you," he said.

"Don't think you couldn't use a few pointers," she said, a small smile on her face as he turned red.

"You haven't complained yet," he murmured, and Hermione chuckled as Ron, who had tried his best to ignore the banter, gagged audibly.

"Honestly, Hermione, what's to stop you from simply barging into his room one night, putting up a few silencing charms, and shagging him?" Ginny asked, ignoring both Ron and Harry who gave her two disgusted looks.

"I suppose my own sense of decency and the fear of abject rejection," Hermione replied.

Ginny shrugged.

"If you wanna shag the man, you shouldn't be thinking about decency. And I don't think you'll have to worry about abject rejection. I've seen him panting over you enough to know that if you hit the right button, he won't be able to keep his hands off you."

"Alright, this is getting a bit out of control," Ron said, turning to them. "I'm far from being a prude when it comes to these things, but when it involves Hermione, I think we're all better off keeping the mystery alive."

Hermione smirked.

"Not much mystery left between us, Ron, considering you've seen the goods."

Harry coughed, choking in surprise at her comment as Ron turned bright red.

Ginny chuckled.

"Well, I for one would like a fully detailed report once you and your man have reached that point in the relationship," she said, rolling her eyes at Harry's pained face. "Oh stop it, Harry, it's not like she's going to be telling _you_ about it."

Then she smirked.

"Although," she purred, leaning over to him and running a finger over his ear. "Perhaps you should be there. To take notes."

"That's it," he said, and he grabbed his girlfriend's hand, yanking her to her feet. "Ron, please keep Seamus, Dean, and Neville out of the room for half an hour. I have a lesson to teach your sister."

"Jesus, Harry," Ron groaned disgustedly, shuddering as they disappeared up the stairs. Nonetheless, he reluctantly walked over to his three roommates to warn them against going up to the room. Seamus and Dean smirked, knowing how uncomfortable Ron got when it came to Harry and Ginny. Neville, however, didn't catch the hint.

"I have to get a book from Herbology," he complained, but Dean and Seamus kept him firmly seated as Ron sighed and walked back to the fire.

"See? _That's_ what I want. I want passion! I want to be whisked away in the heat of the moment to have _unbelievably_ good sex with the man I love," Hermione bemoaned, looking longingly up the stairs.

"Well…" Ron started, sitting on the abandoned sofa, but hesitated.

"What?"

"I…I don't know if…if I should say…"

She arched an eyebrow and he sighed.

"Look, I like Lupin. You know I do. But…he's not the most exciting guy. I mean…he's a great professor and really interesting in class but…well…he never took me as particularly…passionate," he finished dully.

"He's a werewolf, Ron. I don't think you can get any more emotion-driven than that," Hermione said.

"Yeah, but he tries really hard to suppress that part of himself, doesn't he?" Ron rationalized. "Look how long he took to get together with you? He's not exactly the quickest runner in the race. But supposing you do end up shagging while at Grimmauld Place, what's to say it's going to be _unbelievably_ good?"

"Ronald," she said sternly. "Just because you're of the opinion that you're the greatest lover Hogwarts has ever seen doesn't mean that everyone else pales by comparison."

He shook his head with a slight smile.

"I didn't mean that, 'Mione. What I mean is…well…what if you're putting him up on this pedestal and you end up getting disappointed? I know Parvati and Lavender think he's some wild man under the quiet exterior, and I suppose that would be the fantasy. But what if he's not? What if he can't…or doesn't…satisfy you in that way? Where does that leave you?"

"Masturbating," she said simply.

He gave her a withering look.

"Just think about it, OK? You two are perfect for each other just by your personalities. Don't build him up into some fairy tale fantasy. No man is ever going to be perfect. Although," His smirk returned. "Some of us come damn close."

"Oh Ronald," she said, but laughed and threw a pillow at him.


	15. Chapter 15: Arriving at Number 12

**Chapter Fifteen: Arriving at Number 12**

"Hello? Anyone home?"

Sirius shouted the greeting at the top of his lungs as he, Lupin, Hermione, Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Tonks walked into number 12 Grimmauld Place. The four students winced, waiting for the onslaught of curses to come from the black curtains that stood regally on the wall facing the staircase. The onslaught, however, didn't come.

"We were finally able to remove the wretched thing!" Sirius sang, stomping down the foyer and kicking over the troll leg umbrella stand for effect. "I am finally free of that miserable hag!"

Everyone couldn't help laughing at Sirius's exuberance as they walked into the house. He had been almost unnaturally cheerful when he had come to greet them at platform nine and three-quarters with Tonks. He had come as Snuffles and his tail had wagged so hard that Tonks had to swat him on his rear because he had unintentionally smacked her twice.

After greeting Harry enthusiastically by bowling him over and licking him, he had jumped onto Hermione, his paws on her shoulders and his tongue hanging lazily out of the side of his mouth. It wasn't until Lupin had come behind the laughing witch and fixed the dog with a very stern look that "Snuffles" decided to run over to Ron, who had Tonks in his arms and was kissing her passionately in front of everyone on the platform.

The noise in the hallway had brought Mrs. Weasley, Kingsley, and Moody up from the kitchen, and there was another excited round of hugging before Mrs. Weasley insisted they all go down into the kitchen to have tea, as everyone looked quite peaky.

Hermione wondered if they would ever return to her care in a condition healthy enough for her maternal eye.

Once she was certain they were all settled in the kitchen with large sandwiches and cups of steaming tea, Mrs. Weasley continued preparing the dinner she had obviously abandoned at the sound of their arrival.

"Right!" Sirius said with a grin. "First thing's first. I think we need to decide where everyone is sleeping."

"Don't be silly," Mrs. Weasley said. "They're sleeping where they normally sleep."

"Actually, Molly, we're a bit hard up for space," Kingsley said apologetically. "There are six extra people staying here, and even though Sirius is fortunate enough to have an abundance of rooms, we have managed to occupy all of them."

"Alright," she said. "You and Lupin can share a room and we'll fit two more bed's in Tonk's room for the girls. The boys can sleep in Lupin's room."

"Might I make a suggestion, Molly?" Moody said gruffly.

"By all means," she said, though she sounded wary.

"Seeing as there are…relationships…now, I for one would think the serenity of this household would dictate the couples…"

"Absolutely not," Mrs. Weasley interrupted, spinning around to face Moody with a scandalized look on her face. "I'm not letting four teenagers run around willy-nilly acting like…like…"

"Like teenagers?" Sirius asked, a small smile on his face.

"Molly, be reasonable," Kingsley said. "They're all going to be sneaking about to see each other anyway, and I don't want one of them to get hexed accidentally by…someone."

Everyone glanced at Moody.

"But…but…but Ginny's underage!" Mrs. Weasley cried.

"Yes, but you've known that she and Harry…" Sirius paused, looking at his godson, whose gaze, like his girlfriend's, was fixed on his sandwich. "Molly, it's not like they're not going to find other places. Personally, I think having their own bedroom will be allow the rest of us to walk around the house without the worry of opening the wrong closet door."

Ron snorted, trying to hide it by coughing. They all remembered the terrified scream Ginny had let out when Sirius had accidentally opened a closet to find her and Harry in flagrante delicto over the summer.

"But…I…oh…fine. Ginny and Harry can share a room. And Ron…" She purpled as she saw her youngest son smirking at her. "You can share with Tonks."

"Cheers, Molly," Tonks said with a grin, winking at Ron.

"Hermione, dear, that just leaves you, and I don't know where to put you," Molly said apologetically, looking at the young witch as though relieved that someone was standing by a set of moral principles.

Hermione shifted uncomfortably.

"Actually, Molly," Lupin said. "Hermione is going to be staying with me."

Both Hermione and Mrs. Weasley looked at the man in surprise.

"With you? Whatever for?" Mrs. Weasley said.

Hermione flushed as Sirius, Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Tonks all sniggered.

"I suppose it's time for you to know, Molly," Kingsley said with a slight smile. "Hermione and Remus are dating now."

"_What_?!" Mrs. Weasley shouted, making both Lupin and Hermione jump.

"Calm down, Molly. It was bound to happen sometime. Didn't you notice them mooning over each other all summer? No pun intended," Sirius said, grinning at his friend.

"I…but…she's…Alastor!" Mrs. Weasley said pleadingly to the other older wizard.

Moody shrugged.

"Personally, I was surprised it didn't happen the moment she came of age. I've noticed the attraction for years."

"So pervy," Hermione mumbled under her breath to her boyfriend, who pinched her lightly.

"Behave," he murmured, but she saw the glimpse of a smile on his face.

"I…Hermione…" Mrs. Weasley looked at her and Hermione knew what the woman was thinking.

Over the past six and a half years, Mrs. Weasley had watched Hermione, Harry, and Ron grow up and she had something of a maternally possessive nature about the three of them. Once Harry and Ginny started dating, Mrs. Weasley became confident that Harry would one day become an official part of the Weasley family, and had set her energies on fixing Hermione for one of her sons, though for which she didn't seem to mind.

Now, it seemed like her hope for Hermione Granger to become Hermione Weasley was slipping out of her hands too fast for her to control, especially when the young woman she loved like a daughter was in the hands of a werewolf twenty years her senior.

"Mrs. Weasley," she said, standing and walking over to the woman.

She wrapped her arms around the older woman and held her in a way she had never held her own mother. She had realized a long time ago that Mrs. Weasley would be the closest thing she had to a parent while she was in the wizarding world, and like Ron and Harry, Mrs. Weasley seemed to know more about Hermione now than her own parents.

"I don't need the Weasley name to know that you're my mother," she whispered, which made Mrs. Weasley sob. When she finally pulled away, her face was red and her eyes were puffy as tears fell down her cheeks.

"I suppose I need to get it through my head that you all are growing up," she said with a watery smile. "But know that I don't approve of this…cohabitation…and were the circumstances different, I would not allow it."

"Understood," Ron said with a salute and a smirk.

Harry sent his friend a look that warned "Don't push it."

Hermione's heart beat fast against her chest as Lupin led her up the stairs to what was now _their_ room. There was an air of anticipation, though she could tell that Tonks and Ron were infinitely more excited about the situation than Harry, Ginny, or Hermione. She was certain that Harry was still wondering what the catch was.

"If the room is a-rockin', don't come a-knockin'," Ron said with a grin to his friends when they hit the first floor landing before Tonks pulled him into the room, locking the door.

"Use silencing spells!" Ginny called, but considering they didn't hear anything from the room, Hermione was sure Tonks had thought of that already.

"Harry, Ginny, this is your room," Sirius said as they approached the second floor.

"Hey Hermione, we got your old room!" Ginny said with a smile.

"Let's hope it brings you more luck than it did me," she replied.

Lupin tickled her gently.

"Cheeky," he said.

She wriggled her eyebrows.

On the third landing, Sirius turned to the couple.

"Now, my room happens to be directly beneath yours," he said. "So be aware that if you forget to put silencing charms up, I will be able to hex you through the ceiling."

"Not interested in a little audio-voyeuristic ménage a trois?" Hermione said coyly.

Sirius smirked.

"Well, if you're offering…"

"No," Lupin said firmly before swatting Hermione on the bottom and urging her up the stairs to the next floor. Giggling, she complied, skipping up the steps ahead of him and opening the door to his previously-unseen room.

What greeted her was anti-climactic at best. There was simply a four-poster double bed, a desk, and a closet in the corner. A small table stood by the bed with a few books stacked on it, and mirror hung on a door that she assumed led to his bathroom. Curious, she looked in and found it to be just like every other bathroom in the house.

"You seem disappointed," he said with a chuckle as he put her trunk next to his at the end of the bed.

"I don't know what I expected. I suppose I thought your room would be full of…I don't know. Something mysterious, I guess. Dark curtains, maybe. Wax candles. A skeleton."

He smiled, walking over to her and wrapping his arms around her waist.

"How very gothic, Miss Granger," he whispered, nuzzling his nose against hers.

"Indeed, Mr. Lupin," she replied before catching his lips. He groaned, lifting her into his arms and holding her as she wrapped her legs around his hips.

"Oi, Lupin, Moody needs…oh. Sorry!" Tonk's voice said as the door opened and the pink-haired witch entered. She froze when she saw them, turning quickly.

"Sorry! I thought you'd put an Imperturbable charm up if you were going to…I'll come back…no, I can't," She turned back to face them again. "Moody needs us downstairs."

"All of us?" Hermione asked, legs still wrapped around her boyfriend.

"Um…no. No, just the Order members for now. The inducted ones," Tonks added as Hermione opened her mouth to protest.

"Alright, Tonks, I'll be right down," Lupin said with a small smile, and Tonks hurried out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

Lupin sighed, leaning his forehead against Hermione's.

"Damn Tonks and her bad timing," Hermione said, closing her eyes as she inhaled his unique scent of dark wood and grass and chocolate. It intoxicated her.

"I'm glad she interrupted us," he said, and when she looked at him indignantly he chuckled. "Not because I wasn't thoroughly enjoying what we were doing, but because if she hadn't stopped us I would have taken you roughly against the wall like I've been wanting to do for the past six months, and that wouldn't have done for either of us."

"Speak for yourself," Hermione groaned, kissing him deeply but briefly. The idea that he had imagined pressing her against the wall and claiming her made her insides shudder as desire flooded to her loins.

"Jesus, Hermione, I can smell you," he growled, kissing her roughly before pulling away.

"Do you think we have time for a quickie?" she said, half-joking. He laughed.

"I scarcely think I could trust Moody not to send someone up here to pound on the door. Plus," He put her down gently. "I don't think the first time I make love to you should be against the door."

"So…" She looked up into his stormy gray eyes. "You…you _do_ want to make love to me?"

A smile crossed his face.

"Hermione," he said, running the back of his hand over her cheek. "You have no idea how much I desire you."

She flushed.

"But…it just seemed like…you weren't interested in…that." She bit her lip as she finished the sentence lamely.

He sighed.

"There are some things I need to explain to you, darling. Not sex," he added when he saw her give him a withering look. "I need to explain to you some things about my lycanthropy."

"Remus, I've read…"

"You have a textbook knowledge," he said sternly. "But there are some things that textbooks can't teach you. Listen," He kissed her forehead gently. "I promise we'll talk about this soon, but right now I'm needed downstairs."

She sighed in frustration.

"Yes, alright, go then," she said, waving her hand towards the door.

He chuckled.

"You're beautiful when you don't get what you want," he said softly, kissing her cheek before apparating down to the kitchen.

Hermione flung herself back onto the bed, looking at the bed curtains. She had never been more sexually frustrated in her life. She also couldn't help but feel a slight resentment towards Lupin. She knew there were aspects of his lycanthropy that she couldn't learn about through books, but he didn't have to be so condescending about it.

"'You're beautiful when you don't get what you want,'" she mimicked to herself. "Jerk."

"Domestic troubles, 'Mione?" a voice asked amusedly, and she looked up to see Ron leaning against the door. He jerked his finger towards the stairs. "Tonks dumped me for that lot downstairs. Harry and Ginny have barricaded themselves in their room. What's up with you?"

"Lupin needs to tell me some things about his lycanthropy before we can have sex," she said dully, ignoring him as he cringed.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to listen to sex stories from you," he said honestly, coming in and sitting on the bed next to her.

"That's alright. You share enough for the both of us," she replied.

He chuckled.

"True. Oh! That reminds me. Do you have any contraceptive potion? Tonks just used her last one and hasn't had time to brew more."

"I don't have any. I haven't needed it since Viktor, and from the fuzzy details involving _our_ night together, if I remember correctly, you can't get pregnant that way."

She smirked slightly as he blushed, but then she remembered something and an awful, sick feeling settled in the pit of her stomach.

"Oh shit," she said softly.

"What?" Ron asked.

"Sirius," she said, looking at her friend in horror. "I slept with Sirius."

Ron arched an eyebrow.

"This isn't news to you, is it? Because if so, you're a bit late…"

"I'm…fuck…I'm late! Oh shit oh shit oh shit…"

She ran to her calendar, hoping and praying that it wasn't so. She flipped open to the month of December, and her heart sank. The circled day had come and gone by almost a week. She had missed a period.

Fuck.


	16. Chapter 16: Small Favors

A/N: So, a few of you are griping about the cliffhanger…sorry. I was trying to decide how I wanted my heroine to deal with the potential problem. But like all things Hermione, she deals with it intelligently and calmly. Sorry about the somewhat melodramatic nature, but I couldn't help but have fun with this just a little…

Anyway, enjoy!

**Chapter Sixteen: Small Favors**

"I'm gonna kill him."

"Harry…"

"Fuck that! I'm gonna torture his playboy ass!"

"_Ginny_…"

"Personally, I don't understand what the fuss is about."

"Oh _Ron_!"

The four were sitting in Harry and Ginny's room after Ron had dragged Hermione down two flights of stairs to interrupt the happy couple. From Harry's disheveled hair and Ginny's flushed face, it looked like they had barged in just as things were getting heavy.

"Look, it's not like I don't appreciate the…er…support," Hermione said, looking at Harry and Ginny's mutinous faces. "But I think this is something I need to figure out on my own. I don't know for sure yet…"

"Oh, of course you're pregnant," Ginny snapped. "It's Murphy's Law."

"Murphy's…what?" Ron asked.

"It's a Muggle superstition. Everything that can go wrong _will_ go wrong, especially when everything seemed to be going to well," Hermione explained dejectedly, sitting on the bed.

"But I _can't_ be pregnant," she added stubbornly, hitting her fists against the mattress on either side of her. "It's simply not possible. I would have felt something by now. I would have _known_."

"I don't think you are," Ron said.

"And how would _you_ know?" Harry asked.

Ron shrugged.

"I saw my cousin when she first got pregnant. She was sick and irritating and an absolute cow. Now, taken into account the normal levels of irritation that Hermione provides, she hasn't shown any of those symptoms," he said, dodging a slap from Hermione and ending up getting punched in the arm by Ginny.

"I think you need to tell Sirius," Harry said.

"Tell him what? I don't _know_ anything yet."

"Then at least make him take you to a Muggle pharmacy to get a test," Ginny said. "Because the only other way to find out would be to go to St. Mungo's for a blood test or have my mother look you over, and trust me, you don't want to have to explain to my mother that not only are you dating Lupin, but you slept with his best friend."

"And what about Lupin?" Harry said, looking at his friend. "He has a right to know."

"_There isn't anything to know yet!_" Hermione shouted. Then she sighed. "I don't think I am. Honestly, I don't. But I suppose making Sirius come with me to get that Muggle test wouldn't be such a bad idea. It's lucky my mum and dad sent me some Muggle spending money before I left Hogwarts, because all I had was gold."

"I'll go with you to get Sirius," Ginny said, hopping off the bed.

"He's in the meeting right now," Hermione reminded.

"Not for much longer," Ginny replied, and walked out the door before any of them could stop her.

"Ginny! Stop!" Hermione hissed, rushing after her.

Bold as brass, Ginny walked down to the kitchen and opened the door, unfazed by the startled look the Order members had on their faces from the interruption.

"Ginevra Weasley, what on earth…" Mrs. Weasley started, but Ginny interrupted.

"I need Sirius for something of immediate and dire importance, and please don't trouble yourselves by asking what it's for, because I will not tell you," she said simply before giving Sirius a long, cold stare.

Looking just as confused as the rest of them, Sirius stood and walked out of the kitchen with Ginny, who promptly started punching and slapping any part of his anatomy she could lay her small fists to as soon as the door swung closed. Shocked at first by the violence, Sirius quickly came to his senses and grabbed Ginny's wrists, holding them tightly as she struggled.

"What the hell?!" he asked, bewildered.

"You, sir, are an ass!" she spat.

"Ginny, I don't understand…"

"Hermione might be pregnant, you irresponsible jackass," she hissed, and Hermione closed her eyes and sighed before opening them and seeing Sirius looking at her, his face pale.

"Are…are you sure?" he asked.

"No," she said. "But I've missed a period and we didn't use protection of any kind back in November."

"No," he said, thinking back. "No, we didn't, did we?" Then he sighed, smiling slightly at the ferocious-looking redhead. "I'm sorry, Ginny, but I think you've done enough damage for one night."

"Oh, you just wait 'til Harry gets his hands on you," she said maliciously.

"Ginny…" Hermione warned, nodding up the stairs.

Ginny sighed.

"I'm going, I'm going." She shot Sirius one final glare before disappearing back up to her and Harry's room.

"How…when…Jesus Christ," Sirius mumbled, leaning against the wall and looking at the ceiling. Then he looked at her. "How long have you suspected…"

"About ten minutes," she said. "But I would rather get this over and done with so I can spend the rest of the holiday figuring out my next few moves if I have to. Ginny suggested I go to a Muggle pharmacy and get a test, and I'd really like to talk to you about this."

"Oh, yes. Absolutely. Just…give me a second. Go get your coat and I'll be right out," he said before disappearing into the kitchen.

A few minutes later, Sirius re-emerged, an anxious look on his face. He saw her waiting, and smiled slightly, grabbing his own coat from the rack and wrapping a scarf around his neck.

They set out in silence through the cold dusk, the wind starting to bite at their faces. Hermione followed Sirius, assuming he knew all the Muggle haunts by now. A few blocks later, they arrived in front of a store that said _Boots_, and walked in.

"What are you going to do if it's positive?" Sirius asked as she walked down the aisles.

She shrugged.

"I have no idea. I'm not there yet."

"I'll be here for you, of course."

She smiled slightly.

"I have a feeling Harry wouldn't have given you another option."

He chuckled slightly in spite of himself. She continued down another aisle and found the small row of pristine white boxes with little pink plus signs and smiling female faces. Studying each of the boxes, she silently read the instructions as Sirius became more and more self-conscious of the employees glances.

"For Christ's sake, just pick one already," he hissed.

She looked at him serenely.

"I'd like to only have to take this trip once, if you don't mind," she said.

He clenched his jaw but said nothing.

They paid and started back as the streetlights started to come on. Hermione noticed that Sirius walked closer to her now, almost protectively. She supposed that the harsh fluorescent lights of the pharmacy made him realize the severity of the situation, and how it could potentially affect their lives.

Luckily, the meeting was still going when they returned, and so they hurried up to Sirius's room to do the test. Hermione had bought three, as she reasoned it was possible for one to be faulty. Sirius, not really caring about the reason, had said that if one read positive, he was certain the other two would, and it was money wasted on a repetitive point.

She ignored him.

He waited for her as she used the bathroom. Once she washed her hands and set the tests on the sink, she walked back into the room and sat down next to him, looking at her watch.

"I suppose to some people, this would be the longest three minutes of their life," she said.

He looked at her.

"It wouldn't be too bad, would it?" he asked softly. "Having a child with me?"

She smiled slightly.

"It would make for an interesting conversation when he or she asks why Uncle Remus is always with Mummy."

Sirius, however, didn't smile.

"I'm being serious, 'Mione," he said. "If we're pregnant…would you raise the child with me?"

She looked into his silver-blue eyes, and she felt her heart tug at the hope that lay there.

"Sirius…I'm with Remus now," she said.

"I know," he said quickly, looking away. "And you two deserve each other. But…" He trailed off, leaving silence between them for a moment.

"I always wanted a son," he said finally. "I never thought I'd get the chance other than Harry."

"Sirius…please don't get your hopes up," Hermione begged.

"I'm not hopeful. I don't _want_ you to be pregnant," he said, but it was unconvincing.

Hermione stood and started pacing, wondering how Muggle women functioned without magic as three excruciating minutes passed. Finally, looking at her watch, she glanced at Sirius, who had his head in his hands.

"Are you ready?" she asked softly.

He looked up.

"I…"

"Sirius?"

They both froze as Lupin walked through the door, stopping in his tracks when he saw Hermione. He glanced from one to the other, then narrowed his eyes slightly. Sirius stood quickly, reality starting to clear his head.

"Mate, it's not what it looks like," he said shakily.

"And what do you think it looks like?" Lupin asked.

"Well…I'm in my bedroom…with your girlfriend…alone and…unsupervised," Sirius replied.

"That's true," Lupin said, turning his dark gray eyes to Hermione.

"She's completely innocent," Sirius continued to stutter. "Nothing to do with…anything."

"Sirius, calm down," Hermione advised before turning to Lupin. "Darling, there's something we need to discuss."

"Am I to assume that it has to do with Sirius?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Please tell me it doesn't involve that audio-voyeuristic ménage a trois you were talking about earlier."

Hermione smiled slightly.

"No." She took a deep breath. "I might be pregnant."

Lupin looked at her then at his friend. Sirius seemed to shrink under the wolf's cool gaze.

"I see," he said simply.

"It's not certain yet. I just took a test…I was just going to check it when you walked in…"

He frowned slightly.

"A test?"

"A Muggle pregnancy test."

"Oh."

There was another moment of silence.

"She bought three," Sirius blurted out. "You know, in case one was…faulty."

Lupin looked from his friend to Hermione, not making eye contact.

"I suppose you should go and check it now," he said softly.

"Remus, I think we should talk about this."

"We can talk once we know for certain."

"But this doesn't tell us for certain. These tests aren't as reliable as a hospital or…"

"If it's positive, I think it's safe to say you're pregnant." He ran his hand through his hair. "I just wish you had told me earlier."

"It didn't occur to me that it was possible until about an hour ago," she replied defensively.

"Would it have made a difference anyway?" Sirius asked.

Lupin looked at him.

"Would it have made a difference?" he snarled. "The woman I love carrying my best friend's child? I think it would have made a hell of a difference, don't you?"

"So, you're saying if you had known she was pregnant with my child, you wouldn't have pursued her?" Sirius asked.

"I would have thought twice about it, yes."

"Why?"

"Because…" Lupin faltered, looking into Hermione's eyes for the first time since she told him. He saw the hazel glistening with tears and saw her fighting not to cry.

"Because I'm damaged goods," she said with a small smile. "Because it makes all the more real the fact that I did actually have sex with your best friend. And you can't stand someone else touching your toys."

"No," he said, dropping to his knees in front of her and looking pleadingly into her eyes. "No, love, it's not that. It's just…well…if you are pregnant with Sirius's child, then you would have to be with him, wouldn't you? And I don't want to lose you. I can't stand to think of losing you."

"Why would I have to be with Sirius?" she asked.

Sirius sighed.

"You wouldn't. It's just…it's his stupid noble code that says the right thing would be for us to marry."

She let out a strangled cry, hitting Lupin on the shoulders repeatedly in her frustration. He took it, wrapping his arms around her waist and letting his head fall onto her stomach.

"You…stupid…selfless…jackass!" she cried. "For once…just once…fight for me!"

She pulled herself from his grip and walked into the bathroom. Picking up the test, she paused, looking at it for a second before collapsing on the toilet, holding her heart. Both Lupin and Sirius walked in.

"Oh my God. We're having a baby," Sirius said.

She shook her head.

"It's negative."

***

Neither Lupin nor Hermione felt like eating that night. Even though Mrs. Weasley had come up to the room twice, begging them to reconsider, they still declined, blaming their fatigue on their lack of appetite.

Hermione didn't say much as she unpacked her trunk, putting her clothes neatly in the closet and trying to ignore how ordered and precise all of his belongings were. Under normal circumstances she would have appreciated it, even commenting on it to him in a playful tone.

But these weren't normal circumstances.

The truth was they hadn't spoken much since she had said the test was negative. They had bid Sirius good-night, who had mumbled something along the lines of "Thank God for small favors," but both were certain he didn't mean it. They had climbed the flight of stairs from Sirius's room to Lupin's room in silence and had stayed that way for several hours. It wasn't until the prospect of retiring for the evening did speaking start to become necessary.

"You can use the bathroom first, if you want," Lupin said as Hermione pulled out her pajamas.

"I want to take a bath, so maybe you should use it first," she replied, still unable to look at him.

He walked into the bathroom, and she pulled out her History of Magic textbook.

A few minutes later he stepped back into the room, dressed in a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt. She grabbed her pajamas and slid past him into the bathroom, closing the door behind her before he had the chance to say anything.

Lupin sat on the bed, his head in his hands as he realized that, just hours ago, he had been fully prepared to make love to the woman who was now audibly crying in the bathroom. She hadn't been entirely incorrect in her assessment of his reaction. Her pregnancy scare _did_ throw into light the fact that she and Sirius had slept together. It had been alright when they hadn't talked about it and pretended the issue hadn't existed. But now, just as he was about to make the move, just as _they_ were about to sleep together, fate had thrown a tiny wrench in the works.

The last thing he thought he had to worry about over the holiday was a fight with Hermione.

Running his hands through his hair, her last words to him floated into his consciousness. "For once…just once…fight for me!" Her cry of frustration and hurt had cut him to the very core. He supposed that was probably one of the reasons why he hadn't said anything to her. He knew, had she been pregnant, that he would have told Sirius to do the right thing. He would have released her to a decent life without the fear of rumors and whispers. It would have broken his heart, but he wouldn't have fought for her.

A soft knock on the door brought him out of his thoughts. Glancing at the bathroom door, he thought better of disturbing her and walked over to the bedroom door, opening it.

Harry stood on the other side.

"Uh…hi," he said tentatively, glancing in. "I'm…um…not disturbing, am I?"

Remus smiled slightly.

"She's in the bathroom. You can come in and wait if you'd like."

Harry shook his head.

"Actually, it's you I've been meaning to talk to."

"Oh. Alright." He stepped aside and allowed the young man to enter. Harry shuffled in, obviously uncomfortable. Remus couldn't help but wonder at how much he looked like his father, even though the concern in his bright green eyes matched that of his mother's.

"Right," Harry started, frowning slightly as if trying to formulate his words. "Um…listen. There's no easy way to say this, so I'll just say it…I think you're being a right ass."

Remus looked stunned.

"Excuse me?"

"Look, I've always thought that you and Hermione would be perfect together, alright? We all do. But you've gotta get your act together, mate. I know what happened today was a pretty big issue for the two of you, but…well, not to put too fine a point on it, Remus, but you're a werewolf. There are going to be bigger issues."

"What makes you think that Hermione and I haven't already gotten over today's issue?"

Harry pinked slightly.

"Ginny found some of the twins' Extendable Ears. She wanted to know what was happening in Sirius's room while Hermione took the test. We heard what happened."

Remus sighed, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Not one of my finer moments," he admitted.

"She wasn't wrong, Remus," Harry said softly. "You seemed so willing to give her up if she was pregnant that it really begs the question of whether you're interested in being with her now or not."

"Of course I want to be with her!"

"Mate, I'm not the one you've gotta convince," Harry said, though he looked slightly more relieved than when he entered the room. "What are you so afraid of, eh? That she'll wake up and suddenly realize that she's in love with a werewolf? Bit too late for that, Remus, she's seen you transform."

"But she hasn't seen me _after_," Remus said. "Last month, I was in my rooms recovering by myself. Next week is the next full moon and she's going to see _me_ for the first time. She's going to see the blood and the bruises and the scars and when she told me today that she might be _pregnant_…"

He ran his hand through his hair again, feeling the anguish of the situation bubble up and spew forth in front of Harry.

"She had an out. She had an escape. She had the opportunity to be with a man who genuinely cares about her and she wouldn't have to worry about taking care of someone once a month. She wouldn't have to worry about having children with someone who could potentially kill her."

"Do you honestly think she'd be happy with Sirius?" Harry asked.

"I…no. I don't know. I mean…" He hesitated. "She slept with him, didn't she?"

Harry's eyes darkened.

"You pushed her into his arms, Remus. You know that. And sometimes, sex really is just sex. I mean, look at Ron."

"But she deserves better than me and today just proved that she could have _had_ someone better than me."

"You are such an idiot."

Both men turned to see Hermione standing in the doorway of the bathroom. Her hair was damp but was curling into golden-brown ringlets as it dried. She wore a set of plain cotton pajamas and she was without make up or frills. She was real and she was standing in front of him.

"I'm tired," she said, the sob threatening to reach her voice as a single tear fell down her cheek. "I'm tired of trying to convince you that I don't want anyone but you. I'm not looking for an out. Even if I _was_ pregnant with Sirius's child, I could _never_ be with him because it would hurt me too much to be without you. I _love_ you, Remus. And I deserve to be loved too."

Remus just looked at her. He saw the pain in her eyes. He saw the desperation, the frustration at the fact that he just _didn't understand_. And in those eyes, he felt his doubts, his fears, everything start to melt away. He had known back in November that he had to have her. Now he knew that she had to have him. No strings. No limitations. No holding back.

"I'm sorry," he said. "God, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

He crossed the distance between them in two steps and pulled her into his arms. She didn't fight him, but held him as he pulled her close, trying to convey everything in that single embrace. Harry, a slight self-satisfied smirk on his face, quietly left the room, closing the door behind him.

***

"How much does it hurt?"

"On a scale of one to ten? I'd say…a fifty."

"Worse than the Cruciatus Curse?"

"Much worse."

"And once you've transformed?"

"Pure restlessness. Some nights are worse than others. It's easier when I'm at Hogwarts, because I remember when I used to transform with my friends and we would roam the Forbidden Forest together. The Wolfsbane makes it easier. I can fall asleep sometimes."

Hermione and Lupin were lying in bed, facing each other. They had been talking quietly for several hours about everything and nothing. In all the years they had known each other, they had never had a conversation quite like the one they were having. It was the "getting to know you" time they had never really had. Having been thrust together by circumstances Hermione's third year, there had never been the opportunity.

They talked of trivialities – favorite color, favorite food, favorite books. They had talked of her life before magic, of her Muggle family and of their mixed emotions to her magical prowess. He enjoyed hearing her speak about her family. There was a warmth in her voice and he knew that she loved them very much, despite their differences. He knew she sometimes wished she could spend more time with them. But she knew, being one of Harry Potter's best friends, that she had responsibilities far greater than family. And there was a small, naïve part of her that thought she could spend an infinite time with her family once everything was over, mortality be damned.

They spoke of his lycanthropy, a topic he tended to shy away from. But she was curious, as he knew she'd be. She had an enormous amount of knowledge on the subject – far more than he would have expected a seventeen-year-old to possess.

But he also knew that Hermione Jean Granger was no ordinary seventeen-year-old.

"I read somewhere that wolves mate for life. Is that the same with werewolves?" she asked, running her fingers over his hands and intertwining their fingers.

"Sometimes," he replied, curling a lock of her hair around a finger on his free hand. "Wolves mate for life. Werewolves…well…we retain the human need for love and affection though some of our urges are more heightened."

"What does that mean? Do I have to keep an eye on you?" she asked, a small smile crossing her face but he could hear the slight worry in her voice.

He smiled, running his finger down her cheek.

"No, love. When I'm with someone, I don't stray. What I mean is…the closer to the full moon, the more aggressive I become. I suppose it's a virility of sorts. Mooney tends to get a little randy."

She smirked.

"Oh really?"

He chuckled, kissing her lightly on the nose.

"I think we should wait, love," he whispered. "I love you too much to rush into this."

"Who's rushing?" she said, and he heard the impatience.

He chuckled again.

"We need to take this very slow. It's been a long time for me, and if we rush into it I'm likely to lose control, and trust me, darling, that is something you're not ready for."

"What happens when you lose control?"

He blushed slightly.

"I become…rough."

He saw her eyes twinkle slightly.

"I don't mind it rough," she said, and he knew they were bordering on dangerous territory.

"I want to wait until after the full moon, at the very least," he said. "You need to see what you're getting yourself into."

"I know what I'm getting myself into, Remus. I've seen you transform and I've seen you after…"

"You haven't seen me _immediately_ after. I'm weak and pale and on particularly bad nights, there is sometimes blood."

She scoffed.

"I'm friends with Harry and Ron, Remus, do you honestly think I haven't seen blood?"

"You need to be careful around me, Hermione," he warned. "My blood could infect you."

"It's not like I'm planning on licking it off you," she said hotly.

He saw a small smile play on her lips as they both imagined other, less questionable things they could lick off each other's bodies.

"There's one more thing," he said softly, shaking the image of her naked curves covered in melted chocolate from his mind. "And this is the most important thing you have to keep in mind when we make love."

She looked at him expectantly.

"Werewolf…bonding…is different from human marriage," he said.

She arched an eyebrow.

"Taking it a bit quick, aren't we?" she teased.

He shook his head.

"It's something you need to understand, because it's something that only you will be able to control," he said seriously. "Werewolves mark their intended mates."

She frowned slightly.

"Mark?"

"Yes. It's not unlike biting, but without the intent to infect," he said. "It's an older magic than marriage. A werewolf bites the shoulder of his intended mate, wounding her, and then licks it to heal it. It heals in the form of an ancient rune."

"What does it say?"

"It depends on the couple, but it is something that needs to be avoided."

She frowned.

"Why?"

He took a deep breath.

"Because if I were to mark you, you would essentially be bonded to me. We would be married and you could have no other man but me."

She started to protest that she didn't _want_ any other man but he stopped her.

"It's not a decision you should be making right now," he said. "Regardless of how we feel for each other."

"Well, if it's something you don't intend to do, why do _I_ need to worry about it?"

He couldn't help but hear the bite to her voice.

"Because," he said as calmly as he could. "Mooney wants to mark you. He has ever since this summer."

He had expected her to be surprised or even slightly worried. He knew if _he_ had just been told that the uncontrollable beast within the person he loved wanted to bond with him eternally, he would have been slightly guarded.

She, however, simply smiled and snuggled closer to him, her eyes drifting closed.

"At least one of you is putting some thought into future planning," she said.

She said nothing else and after a few silent moments, he knew she was asleep.

He watched her for another half an hour, smiling slightly as a stray lock of hair fell into her face and tickled her nose, causing her to scrunch her face up adorably and sleepily push it off her face. Their hands still linked, he lay down and fell into a deep sleep with her face in his mind.


	17. Chapter 17: Christmas Morning

**Chapter Seventeen: Christmas Morning**

Grimmauld Place seemed very different two years later than it had been their first Christmas there. The house was finally in a livable state, and the residents were no longer tip-toeing around in fear that Mrs. Black's portrait would scream bloody murder at the slightest sound. For the first time in memory, the house was filled with boisterous laughter, thundering footsteps, and eager anticipation for the upcoming holiday.

Hermione enjoyed the fact that Remus was a creature of habit. He awoke every morning, stretched his long, lithe limbs, and kissed her sleepily on the forehead before disappearing in the bathroom. As he bathed, she would slowly regain consciousness and dress. He would re-emerge and they would switch places, allowing him to dress and her to do the necessary morning maintenance. He was inevitably waiting with a cup of tea for her when she emerged, and she was always amazed that he dressed in Muggle clothes. It made him look years younger.

Together they would head down to breakfast. The first few days were difficult, as Hermione knew Mrs. Weasley was consistently worrying about the amount of debauchery going on under her nose and considering Ron and Tonks made absolutely _no_ effort into hiding their nightly actions, Hermione suspected that her entrance with Remus every morning made Mrs. Weasley's mind wander to a place it ought not go. The two were, however, courteous and polite to the older woman and refrained from any overt public displays of affection.

Breakfast would inevitably bring owls from the Order members who weren't staying at the house. Hermione's heart went out to the Weasleys, all of whom tried to hide their anxiety as the owls swooped in and dropped letters in the laps of their intended reader. Mrs. Weasley would gasp every time Errol or Pigwidgeon would land unceremoniously in the kitchen. Both Harry and Hermione avoided looking at their friends, knowing that any news about Charlie or Percy would undoubtedly come in a way other than by owl.

After breakfast, everyone would excuse themselves and head off to different parts of the house. After a nauseatingly long good-bye kiss, Tonks would detach herself from Ron and leave for the Ministry. Harry, Hermione, and Ginny often rolled their eyes at Ron. He was becoming very attached to the older witch and the three wondered whether Tonks was as attached. Hermione silently hoped that Tonks would be the end of Ron's womanizing ways, but Ginny sincerely doubted it.

Hermione would eventually end up in the library with her homework. Sometimes Remus joined her, but most of the time he went off with Kingsley or Sirius to do things for the Order. They were small assignments, usually reconnaissance work of known Death Eaters, but it didn't make the young witch worry any less.

Lunch was an individual affair, as Mrs. Weasley spent most of her day back at the Burrow. Even though she and Mr. Weasley were staying at Grimmauld Place, she kept going back and forth to make sure her house continued to be neat and clean. Ron had often grumbled that they would have the cleanest house the Death Eaters had ever destroyed, but he never said it loud enough for his mother to hear. Mrs. Weasley was still not entirely immune to sobbing at the slightest hint of danger.

Sometimes Hermione would go to Diagon Alley with Harry and Ron to visit Fred and George at _Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes_. She always admired the skill and magic that went into some of their work, though she would have never admitted it to them. She wondered, however, what life would have been like if they had been more inclined to join the Ministry like their mother had intended. The world would have definitely been a different place without their Skiving Snack Boxes.

Dinner was loud and boisterous as most of the Order members found time to drop in for Mrs. Weasley's excellent cooking. Hermione had wondered several times if she should start exercising again, due to the enormous amount of food that she consumed. She envied Ron and Harry, who could easily shovel three or four helpings and still stay lean and wiry. She supposed it didn't hurt that they played Quidditch every afternoon.

She loved her evenings the best, as only the occasional interruption provided distraction and it rarely required either Lupin or Hermione's attention. They were able to spend their evenings quite peacefully together, either reading curled up on the couch in the library or talking quietly in their room. They would fall asleep in each other's arms, Hermione's head nuzzled into his broad chest as he absently ran his fingers through her hair. They had yet to make love, but Hermione found she wasn't particularly impatient. She enjoyed the intimacy.

Most of the time.

The night before, Christmas Eve, was the night before the full moon. It had been particularly difficult for both Hermione and Remus. They had both gone to bed in a deep haze of sexual frustration. Like Remus had said their first night there, Mooney was at his most virile then and Remus had kissed her just a little harder, held her just a little closer, and had tested all of his boundaries of propriety to their breaking point. More than once had they pulled away from each other gasping, their bodies covered in sweat, exercising every ounce of self-control not to tear each other's clothes off.

It was Christmas morning now, and for the first time all holiday, Hermione woke up first. She loved the feeling of waking up in his protective arms, though she smirked slightly at how completely he had wrapped himself around her. One arm was around her waist, the other settled on her hip, and his legs had entangled with hers. A shiver ran down her spine as she relived the night before, with his lean, toned body pressed against hers. She had been hungry for him last night, and she was growing less and less tolerant of his noble intentions.

She tried to wriggle out of his grasp and her breath caught in her throat as he curled his arms around her tighter, not allowing her to move. He felt so good that she worried _her_ self-control might be put to the test, but she didn't have to worry as the door burst open and Ron, Harry, Ginny, and Tonks rushed in, jumping on the bed.

"Wake up, sleepy heads!" Tonks said shrilly, causing Remus to groan and bury his head in Hermione's hair.

"Go away, or I'll hex you," he mumbled, thrashing a hand blindly and almost hitting Harry.

Chuckling, Hermione turned to her boyfriend.

"I hate to break it to you, love, but they're quite an insistent bunch and simply threatening bodily harm is not going to work," she said, pushing a stray piece of hair out of his face.

"Too tired to go through with any threats," he murmured. "Must press on without me."

"Oh no," she said, smiling. "If I have to wake up, you do too."

"I don't wanna…" he whined, but they were interrupted by Sirius walking in.

"Up you get, Mooney. It's Christmas!" he said cheerfully.

Hermione had to wonder about Sirius. He was either a phenomenal actor or an accomplished liar. From his behavior around them, teasing them just as soundly as any of her other friends, it was almost as if he hadn't admitted his fantasy of having a family with her. She did, however, catch him occasionally looking at her longingly, but the looks were so fleeting that she wasn't entirely sure whether she was imagining it or not.

"Why is everyone so bloody cheerful?" Remus asked, finally sitting up and looking at the eager faces.

"Why are you so tired? You _never_ sleep before a full moon," Sirius countered, summoning the couple's pile of presents from the floor onto the bed.

Hermione smiled to herself as Remus cast a smirk her way. She knew that he was sleeping better with her next to him, and she was certain their exhausting exertion of self-control the night before hadn't hurt his ability to fall asleep.

Her friends, however, didn't need to know about that.

"C'mon, you two," Ron whined. "Let's open presents!"

There was a general dive for the nearest present bearing each of their names and the sound of ripping paper filled the small room. Ginny squealed with delight at the Holyhead Harpies yearbook Sirius had gotten her as Ron and Harry both laughed at the box of products Fred and George had sent them.

Tonks smirked at Lupin as he opened his gift from Mrs. Weasley – a gray cardigan with the initials 'RJL' over the breast pocket.

"It makes you look so distinguished, _professor_," she teased.

"What did my mum make you?" Ron asked her.

"A scarf," Tonks said evasively.

"Oh yeah? Where is it?" Hermione asked, noting the blush starting to creep up her friend's cheek.

"I put it away," she said.

Hermione and Ginny looked at each other before they both jumped off the bed and rushed down to Tonks' room, the blushing witch just feet behind them.

"Quick! You ward the door and I'll look," Ginny said gleefully as they slid into Tonks' room, closing the door before she could come in. Hermione put up a quick Impenetrable charm before helping her friend look through the drawers.

"She's a bit messy, isn't she?" Hermione said, amused as the drawers bulged with Tonks' clothing.

"Found it!" Ginny shrieked, and the two dissolved into laughter at the sight of long, bubblegum-pink scarf with crying redheaded babies on it.

"Do you think Molly's trying to say something?" Remus asked amusedly as the two girls brought the scarf triumphantly back to the room.

Ron turned pale.

"You're not…" he gasped.

"No," she said definitively. "I think she's just making a comment on our behavior."

Nevertheless, Ron cast worried looks at her as they continued to open their presents.

"This is mine, 'Mione," Sirius said, smiling slightly and nudging a small red box towards her.

Opening it, her eyes widened slightly as she pulled out two matching gold combs encrusted with tiny rubies. As she picked one up to examine them, Sirius smiled.

"They're charmed to hold your hair in the exact way you intend it to. They don't fall out."

"These are…I couldn't…"

"Yes you could," he said dismissively, ignoring the anguished look his best friend was giving him. "It's not like _I_ have any use for them."

Hermione glanced at Lupin, and quickly put the combs back in the box. As lovely as they were, she knew she probably wouldn't wear them all that often. Not if they were going to bother Lupin.

"How 'bout you, Lupin? What did you get from Sirius?" Harry asked gently, noting the tension.

"Oh. I haven't opened it yet," he said sheepishly, too concerned with Hermione's gift to notice his own. His also came in a small red box.

Opening it, he saw a pair of gold cuff links, also encrusted with tiny rubies. They matched Hermione's combs perfectly, and Lupin felt a bit guilty for suspecting his friend's intentions.

"They're also charmed. You'll never lose them," Sirius said.

"Thank you, Sirius," Remus said sincerely, hugging his friend. "They're beautiful."

"Oh, don't get all emotional," Sirius said with a grin, but it was clear he appreciated how well his gifts had gone over.

"Who's this from?" Hermione asked, picking up a small black box.

"That's mine, love," Lupin said, suddenly going very still.

Hermione opened it, and her jaw dropped. It was a silver ring with a Celtic love knot at the center. It hung on a simple silver chain and as she looked at it, she saw an inscription inside. It said '_Eternally Yours_.'

"Is that..." Ginny started but Harry hushed her, watching Hermione's face. Hermione looked at Remus.

"Is that a promise?" she whispered.

He smiled slightly.

"This ring was my grandmother's, on my father's side," he said, taking it from her and unfastening the clasp. "It's not charmed or anything, but my grandfather gave this to my grandmother the morning of their fiftieth wedding anniversary. It must have brought them luck, because they shared another twenty-five years together."

He fastened it around her neck and she looked at it lovingly.

"I love it," she whispered. "And I love you."

She kissed him deeply, smiling slightly as she heard Ginny sigh with romantic contentment. Chuckling, Remus wrapped his arm protectively around his girlfriend before turning back to the gang that surrounded them. Harry glanced at Ginny awkwardly.

"Um…I think that took a bit of the wind out my sails, but this is for you," he said, handing her a black velvet box.

Ginny's eyes widened.

"Is this…"

"No," he said, trying to ignore the slight look of disappointment in her eyes. "But I think you'll appreciate it nonetheless."

She opened it and gasped. It was also a ring, but of goblin-wrought silver. His initials of 'HJP' were entwined with her 'GMW' and engraved spirals glinted in the sunlight. He took it gently from the box and placed it on the ring finger of her right hand. It burned blue for a quick second, resizing itself to fit her small finger, before flashing bright scarlet.

Ginny squealed slightly as Harry grimaced. A deep burn, best described as a tattoo, formed on the ring finger of his right hand.

"It's something of a promise ring," he said. Then he blushed slightly. "It…um…has a fidelity charm on it."

Sirius frowned.

"A fidelity charm?" he asked.

"As long as she's wearing it, I have the band on my finger, and neither of us will ever have the notion of straying."

Ginny smirked slightly.

"A bit insecure, are we?"

He shuffled restlessly.

"I…um…know there are those who…um…like you," he said lamely. "And the ring _can_ be removed, should you ever…er…want to remove it."

Ginny flung her arms around his neck, kissing him all over his face. Ron gave his friend a dark look as it was Tonks' turn to sigh in romantic contentment. Catching his look, Tonks shoved him slightly.

"Don't worry. I'm not expecting anything like that from _you_ anytime soon," she said with a smirk, placing a stout kiss on his lips. "I'm perfectly fine with what we have."

Sirius chuckled slightly, but out of the corner of her eye Hermione saw him glance at her with that look that silently asked why she couldn't have fallen for _him_ instead of his best friend. The look was gone in an instant as he rallied the rest of them out of the room.

"Come on, troops. Molly's sure to be wondering why there's still food on the table," he said, picking up stray bits of wrapping paper. Slowly, everyone filed out of the room and once the door closed, Remus and Hermione found themselves still in bed and alone.

"I am, you know," he whispered as he fingered the ring that now sat around her neck. "I am eternally yours."

"As am I," she replied, slightly breathless.

He kissed her again, slowly lowering them back onto the bed as he hovered over her. She wrapped her legs around his body, pulling him down on top of her. He growled and she giggled as his budding erection made contact with her heat. His hands ran up and down her sides, taking in her curves and enjoying how she purred at his slight touch.

"Oh 'Mione," he murmured against her lips. "We have to stop."

"No…" she moaned, arching up to his retreating body.

"Oh sweet Merlin," he groaned as she rolled her hips against his, the friction causing a thrill to run down his spine. "You have to stop or so help me I will explode."

"Explode then," she breathed, looking into his stormy gray eyes.

"Don't you know how much I want to?" he murmured, brushing his lips over her neck. "But we'll be missed for breakfast and I for one don't want Molly walking in on us."

She nipped at his bottom lip.

"You try my patience, lover," she cautioned, half-joking but he saw the warning that lay in her hazel eyes.

"After the full moon," he whispered, kissing her chastely before rolling off of her. "I promise."


	18. Chapter 18: Reality Sets In

**Chapter Eighteen: Reality Sets In**

The holidays had given way to a fast-paced, full assault on preparations for the coming new year. The Death Eaters were on the move. Order members came in and out of Grimmauld Place with such rapidity that it gave Hermione the feeling of being a very crowded tube station. Mrs. Weasley, having given up on keeping a sense of decency and decorum among the four teenagers, seemed to finally acquiesce to the fact that letting them do as they pleased with whom they pleased added to the serenity of the busying household. Despite the freedom this gave Harry, Ginny, Ron, Tonks, Hermione, and Lupin to be as affectionate as they pleased in public, it did not ebb the disapproving glances they received when Tonks jumped into Ron's arms upon her return from work or when Lupin spun Hermione to him in a deep kiss after Order meetings.

Now sitting on the edge of the bathtub in Lupin's room, Hermione was applying lotion to her legs after her bath. Lupin had been called down to the kitchen when Charlie had unceremoniously arrived with Bill and Kingsley, pleading to speak with Remus. Lupin had shot his girlfriend an apologetic look, as this wasn't the first time their evenings had been interrupted by matters that needed either his or her attention. In fact, ever since the full moon, there hadn't been a night when either Hermione or Lupin had been alone long enough to make good on the promised love-making. Both usually came back very late, too tired to do much other than collapse onto the bed.

Though, that didn't stop the optimistic side of Hermione from continuously taking a contraceptive potion before they went to bed. Remus had had the good grace not to ask what she was taking when he had caught her draining the vial one night before bed.

With his absence foreshadowing another sexless night, Hermione had decided on a long, hot bath to relax her tense muscles. It frustrated her more tonight, because she had used her last vial of contraceptive potion before he had been called downstairs. But she knew they couldn't stop the events around them, and so now she was preparing to go to bed alone. Her hair drying in silky curls, she stretched out her long legs with a groan as she stood, pausing at the mirror that stood above the basin.

Despite her exhaustion, it was the first time she honestly felt beautiful.

She didn't look any different from her normal appearance and considering she was wearing the entirely normal nighttime ensemble of a black ribbed tank top and powder pink cotton briefs, she looked remarkably plain by _Witch Weekly_ standards. However, the idea of being utterly irresistible to the man she worshipped made her feel like a centerfold. Her only wish was that his lingering, passionate kisses and nearly-accidental brushes along her body would finally turn into the white-hot heat of a lover's intimate caress.

She felt like she was going insane, waiting to finally make love to him. But as interruption after interruption continually postponed their plans for intimacy, she felt the pressure start to build. They would be going back to Hogwarts soon, and she knew it would be too difficult to convince him to make love to her while they were so close to Dumbledore's ever-present eye.

Walking back into the bedroom, she gazed out of the window at the clear night moon. Only the slight shadowed curve gave any indication that it was no longer full. When it had been full, she had heard the restless pacing and clawing above her head as Remus had locked himself in the attic. She had tried to sleep, but when he heard him whimpering after flinging himself against the door, she had given up hope of rest and had sat at rapt attention for hours, hoping he didn't hurt himself too badly. She was smart enough to know she couldn't help him, but it didn't stop her heart from breaking as she heard his cries.

Afterwards, she had taken care of him as he lay exhausted in their room. She had cleaned up the dried blood of his reopened scars, healing them as best she could but knowing that they would never disappear entirely. He had been weak, but grateful, kissing her tenderly and whispering how much he loved her. He had promised her that it would get better once the confinement of Grimmauld Place was no longer necessary and they were back at Hogwarts. She knew he was trying to make her feel better but she now realized why he had been so afraid of letting her in. This would be a reality for her every month but as much as she was frightened by it she knew she couldn't, _wouldn't_ leave him.

The sound of the door opening brought her back to reality and she turned to see Lupin walk in looking preoccupied. It took him a few seconds to register her presence, but she was awarded with a bright, happy smile that made him look far younger. She wasn't fooled, though. The worry in his eyes gave away his true emotions.

"Hermione," he said with what sounded like relief.

"Rough meeting?" she asked sympathetically as he shrugged out of his jacket, sighing wearily.

"Yes," he said. But he didn't elaborate as he walked over to her, placing his hands on either side of her and kissing her tenderly on the forehead. He was no longer weak and pale, but the scars on his face were still an angry red color.

"I took a bath while I waited," she said, watching him kick off his shoes and socks. "It was very relaxing."

"You know, I think that's just what I need. I'll be out in a few minutes."

"Take your time, darling," she called as he disappeared into the bathroom. She pulled her Ancient Runes textbook out, deciding that it was going to be another quiet, studious night for her. She didn't think it was possible, but she worried that she was going to run out of homework.

She had just put down her quill and translation when he emerged, toweling his hair. She watched him, taking in his supple, toned torso that was littered with scars. She thought he was beautiful and pried her eyes away as she found herself gazing hungrily at the line of light brown hair that descended from his navel and disappeared behind the drawstring of his pajama pants.

"Ancient Runes," he murmured, ignoring her frustrated stares as he glanced at her homework. "God, it's been forever since I've had to do translations. Trust me, it's much easier when you're in the field. The Ancients didn't see much need for multi-syllabic words. Mind you, they did like their riddles, so perhaps it's not as easy…"

He looked more relaxed as he jabbered on about Ancient Runes, walking around the room finishing the little tasks he always left until the end of the day, before they went to bed.

"Remus," she said quietly, interrupting him as he was telling her about a note James and Sirius had left in Professor Dippet's office their fourth year which had been written entirely in Ancient Runes, and how it had taken weeks for the old professor to respond in kind, owing to the man's poor translation abilities.

"Yes, darling?"

"You're rambling. What's wrong?"

Remus sometimes wished Hermione wasn't as perceptive or attuned to him as she had become over the break. He didn't want to tell her about what he, Bill, Kingsley, and Charlie had discussed, but considering they were more or less officially linked, he knew he had to. That, and Bill's stern "suggestion" that he talk to Hermione about it. It cast into terrifying brightness the fact that Remus now had to think about someone else when making his decisions. While the lack of autonomy would have annoyed him in the past, he found himself not minding so much with Hermione. He knew she would understand.

"Things aren't going well in Romania," he said, running a distracted hand through his damp hair. "Charlie's having a rough time with the local vampire population. They keep instigating the dragons. He needs reinforcements to go and help subdue them." He glanced into her eyes. "He asked Bill to bring Kingsley and me."

Taking a deep breath, she nodded calmly.

"How long do you think it'll take?"

"Several weeks, I expect."

"And you'll be dealing with vampires?"

"Well, dragons mostly to start but eventually…yes."

"You are aware, of course, that you and Bill are not going to be the most welcomed sight to them, considering you're their natural enemy, right?"

He smiled slightly. He appreciated her dry wit amidst these difficult times.

"I don't think we're expecting a parade in our honor. But Bill thinks our…condition…will come in handy should negotiations dissolve completely."

She looked at him levelly.

"How dangerous will this be, Remus?"

He had feared that question above everything else. He didn't want to frighten her – though he knew in the back of his mind that she was made of stouter stuff than any woman he had ever dated before her – but at the same time he had no reason or inclination to lie to her.

"It will be fairly dangerous. You see…Bellatrix and Dolohov are leading the rebellion."

Hermione let out the breath she was holding with an involuntary shudder. If Bellatrix Lastrange was as intimately involved as leading a vampire rebellion, Hermione knew there was a feasible chance that Remus might not return.

"Who's gonna teach while you're gone?" she asked, changing the subject to something lighter as she beckoned him over to the bed. He seemed relieved at her reaction and walked over, lying next to her and stretching his long limbs out, resting his head comfortably against the pillows. Hermione lay next to him, her head upon his shoulder, her leg crooked over his, her fingers dancing over the scars on his chest.

"I haven't really given it much thought, actually," he said after a minute, his hand rubbing her upper arm soothingly. "I suppose it will have to be another Order member."

"Maybe Moody," Hermione suggested.

"I don't think so. Dumbledore needs Moody available for missions." He chuckled. "Maybe Tonks. That would make Ron happy."

Hermione laughed.

"I know Dumbledore is fine with us being together despite your employment as my professor, but I highly doubt he'd be alright with those two running around shagging in every corner of the castle. Besides," she said, a small smile on her face. "Tonks is dead clumsy. She might accidentally hex someone with a spell or something. Could you imagine her with Neville?"

They laughed at the thought of the two casting spells in the same room.

"I suppose having the Weasley twins teach would be out of the question," he said with a chuckle.

Hermione smirked.

"Although, class would be anything but dull."

"If they had class at all."

She sighed.

"I suppose Dumbledore might take over until he finds a suitable replacement. Let's hope Snape stays in his Potions dungeon. I don't think I could tolerate _two_ classes with him."

Lupin tilted her face to look at him. Despite her relaxed appearance, he could see worry in her hazel eyes. She was being strong for him, trying not to show fear because she didn't want _him_ to worry about _her_. It endeared her all the more to him as he realized it was just one of the many reasons why he was head over heels in love with the young woman.

"You are incredible," he said softly. "And I love you so much."

"I love you too," she replied, trying not to lose herself in his stormy eyes. She nuzzled into his neck, sighing. "I don't know what I'm going to do without you for so long."

"I suppose we'll both have to make the most of the time we do have."

"How much time is that?" She felt his body tense and she sat up slightly, looking at him. "When do you leave, darling?"

"Kingsley and I leave London tomorrow afternoon," he said. "Bill and Charlie left for Cornwall this evening so Bill can spend the night with Fleur back at Shell Cottage. Kingsley and I are meeting them there tomorrow, and we leave for Romania after nightfall."

She looked into his eyes again.

"So this is our last night together."

She said the words matter-of-factly, without anger, irony, or innuendo. The words, however, spoke volumes between them. He shifted slightly, turning onto his side to face her as she lay down again. She kept her gaze steady, but he felt his heartbeat quicken at the words hung silently in the air.

"Let's not call it our last night," he said, brushing a strand of her hair away from her eyes. "Let's call it…the night before a brief pause."

"Remus," she said, taking his hand in hers as she shook her head. "I have no illusions to the dangers you will face on this mission. Please don't patronize me by pretending otherwise. This really could be our last night together. Let's be honest about that, at least."

He smiled, running his hand through hers as he caressed her fingers.

"Alright, love," he agreed. "I apologize. I didn't mean to patronize you. I honestly meant to soothe."

She pushed a strand of his hair out of his eyes, locking them with her own.

"As this is our last night together…for awhile," she said, and he nodded. "I don't want you leaving without…" She paused. "Without knowing me."

She felt him shiver slightly.

"And I don't want you to leave without me knowing you," she finished, not taking her eyes off him.

"Hermione, love," he said softly. "It's not that I don't want to. Really. But…considering this may be the only time…" He looked down, away from the calming effect her eyes had on him. "I don't want to make love to you if the only reason is because you fear you might not see me again."

For the briefest moment he thought she rolled her eyes.

"I don't know what has happened in the past few days to make you think that I haven't wanted to make love to you, Remus, but I can assure you that had you not gone down to the meeting tonight, I would have mounted you a few hours ago," she said.

He looked slightly shocked at her candor, but then burst into laughter. He was happy for the break in the tension.

She ran her hand over his face.

"I'm not having this argument with you again, Remus," she said softly. "I've already told you how I feel about this. I want to make love to you. I've wanted it for a _very_ long time now. I want to feel you inside of me. I want to ride that rush of ecstasy that only you can give me."

He smirked slightly.

"My, don't we have high expectations."

She gave a small laugh and he sighed, running his hand up and down her arm before bringing their linked fingers to his lips, kissing her fingertips gently.

"I'm so afraid of losing control," he whispered.

"I trust that you won't."

"But what if I do? What if I hurt you?"

"You can't hurt me, Remus."

"But what if…"

"I will be here to catch you," she interrupted, running her finger down his cheek. "I love both you and Mooney. I realized long ago that you were a package deal, and the longer I've known you the more I've learned to appreciate that. I love and accept both of you, wholeheartedly."

She spoke with a sincerity that he had never heard before from a woman. Even though most of the women he had slept with had no idea about his lycanthropy, those who did were not nearly as open and honest with him as Hermione was. He was certain that he had never experienced anyone in his life quite like Hermione, but this was the moment, the defining moment, that solidified all of his feelings for her. She loved him, all of him, unquestioningly.

"Make love to me, Remus," she breathed.

He looked into her eyes, those warm, caring, trusting eyes, and all the doubts that were flying through his head dissolved. She lit a fire in him that had been burning since the day he met her. And now, as the rest of the house started to descend into the land of dreams, he cast a few silencing charms and locked the door.

"What did I do to deserve you?" he whispered, before claiming his lips with his.

Groaning, she flicked her wand and the lights went out.

**A/N: Ok, I know I'm cruel for leaving it like this, but I swear the next chapter will be nothing but smutty, immodest, "oh-my-dear-sweet-fluffy-Lord" goodness. I just need to edit it to make it perfect.**


	19. Chapter 19: Explosions

**Chapter Nineteen: Explosions**

They lost themselves in the kiss, taking their time as they explored each others' mouths with their tongues, stoking the burning embers that lay in their bodies. Hermione gave a small moan as he pulled away slightly, nipping lightly at his bottom lip to coax him back to her. He responded by kissing the edges of her lips before starting over her jaw line and down her neck.

Feeling frustratingly idle as Remus caressed her arms and shoulders while enjoying the pale beauty of her neck with his wicked lips, Hermione ran her fingers through his hair. It was longer than she had ever seen it, falling into his face to give him a touch of boyish charm. It was silky to her touch. She massaged his scalp lightly, dragging her fingernails gently over the skin, eliciting a groan of pleasure from deep in the back of his throat as he paused his ministration to her neck in appreciation.

She ran her hands down the back of his neck, splaying her small hands over his broad, strong shoulders. The soft, smooth ridges of scar tissue felt oddly normal under her skittering fingers. She had touched his tattered flesh so often now that it would have been odd not to feel the uneven, beautiful silver-white scars.

He pulled away again to gaze into her eyes, dropping two butterfly kisses on each lid before wrapping his arms around her and coaxing her gently into a sitting position. Lifting her arms up expectantly, he chuckled, obediently removing her shirt with agonizing slowness. He took in the flat stomach, the smooth ribcage, the young, pert breasts, and the dip of her collarbone. Throwing the piece of clothing over the bed, he gazed at her.

She was lovely.

He had known she would be, considering the amount of times he had caressed those soft curves during particularly ardent moments of kissing, but seeing her in the flesh for the first time gave his body a jolt of pleasure. Those curves were his now. He took a tentative hand and ran it up her torso, delighting at the trail of goose bumps that formed behind his touch.

She was deliciously responsive.

As his fingers traced her sternum, he let his palm graze a taut, rosy nipple. A shiver ran down his spine as she gasped, her eyes fluttering closed. He reveled in her pleasure and ran a second hand quickly up her body to explore her breasts as his lips crashed upon hers once again, taking them both unceremoniously down to the bed again.

Hermione moaned lightly as he touched and teased her breasts, plucking at her tender nipples. His lips were on her neck again, heading south with a renewed sense of purpose. She gripped his hair as his lips touched every spot of her soft flesh other than the spot she wanted him to touch.

Finally, he caught her nipple and she gasped again, arching her back slightly as she enjoyed the heat of his mouth. He loved knowing that he was causing that reaction and the idea of her writhing on the bed made his stomach clench as the wolf reared excitedly within him. He paused, trying to gain some of his control back.

Hermione took advantage of his hesitation to flip them over, catching him off-guard as he landed gracelessly on his back, his gray eyes filled with mild surprise at her initiative. She straddled his hips, leaning down and catching his lips in a searing kiss as she circled her hips slowly over his. Breath left him as the friction caused pleasure to shoot up his spine. When she pulled away from the kiss, it took a second for his head to clear before he realized her intentions.

Groaning as she left tiny love bites down his neck and chest, he put a hand on her shoulder, pausing her movements as she approached the waistband of his pants. She looked up at him, her hazel eyes wild with desire and he growled from the back of his throat at the idea that those eyes were specifically for him.

"Not now," he said, trying to pull her back up his body as she resisted. "I don't think I could handle it…I need this to be slow."

He could feel Mooney howling and he refused to let their first time be the rough, wild ride the werewolf craved.

She kissed up his body, running her hands over his chest and nipples. She nipped up his neck and over his strong jaw. She bit his earlobe, causing him to moan.

"Not too slow, lover," she breathed. "I'm not a patient woman."

Remus growled again and flipped them back over. His hands ran up and down her body, memorizing the curves and studying every aspect of her slim frame. She had a beauty mark next to her navel; he kissed it. He felt as her shiver traveled all the way down her body.

Gazing into her eyes, he parted her legs slowly. She kept his gaze, as if daring him to stop. He ran his long fingers over the smooth skin of her inner thigh. He watched, spellbound, as her eyelashes fluttered slightly and she flicked her tongue out to dampen her full lips.

Mooney reared again and Remus sat back on his heels, lifting her left leg so her slim ankle was level with his eyes. He pressed his lips to it, flicking his tongue against the small hollow just above her heel. He tasted the blueberries again and he groaned as he ran his tongue up her leg. She moaned, entranced by his sudden enthusiasm. He nipped at her thigh, looking up into her eyes, a strand of hair falling into his face as his eyes glinted mischievously before he slowly, agonizingly moved to her right leg.

She groaned in protest, bucking her hips towards him but he put a calm hand on her stomach, quietly insisting that she let him take his time. But she was done waiting. Mustering all her self-control she sat up, grabbed the back of his head, and pulled him up to meet her eyes.

"If you don't touch me in the next five seconds, so help me I will hex you into next year."

He arched an eyebrow and a slow, Marauder-worthy smirk spread across his face.

"You're feisty," he whispered.

"You're _infuriating_," she snapped.

He chuckled.

"All in good time, oh impatient one."

But she wasn't the only impatient one. It hadn't escaped him just how _good_ she tasted or how intoxicatingly _sensual_ her scent became the closer he got to her core. Kissing down the center of her body, he ran his hands over her hips. He hooked his thumbs into the soft cotton fabric and slowly inched her underwear down her legs.

She kicked them aside impatiently.

He looked at her and he felt breath leave him entirely. She was unabashed in her nakedness and unflinching under his eye. She merely watched him watch her. He took in the honey-brown hair as it showered the pillow with curls. Her sparkling hazel eyes were begging him, her full pink lips taunting him as the strong, defiant chin dared him not to touch her.

He ran his finger over her cheek, smiling slightly as she nipped at it as he passed over her lips. It traveled down her neck, into the valley between her breasts and over her ribcage to her navel. He circled it for a moment, feeling her shudder, before moving lower and lower to the tiny patch of curly brown hair that glistened with her desire.

She let out a long moan as he slid a finger over her folds and into her hot, wet heat. She arched her back, mewing, as his thumb grazed her sensitive nub. Remus bit his lip, trying to ignore just how tight she was. Dipping his head down to her neck, he licked his way down her body before pulling back slightly. She gave an angry cry and he chuckled, leaning back in to take a lingering lap at the tiny bundle of nerves just as he thrust two fingers inside her.

The effect was instantaneous.

Two months of incomparable sexual frustration coupled with an evening of heightened expectation sent her tumbling over the edge. He groaned as her walls tensed around his fingers as he lapped at her, sending her into a tailspin of pleasure as her first orgasm was quickly followed by another. His senses were on overdrive as the musky scent of her womanhood started to cloud his rational thought. His animal instincts were starting to overpower him.

"'Mione," he gasped as she pulled him up to her lips, claiming his in a fiery passion that dizzied him. He almost didn't register that she had pushed his pajama pants down his legs with her feet. Kicking them off, he scrambled off the bed, taking deep breaths to will back his self-control. The task was difficult as she lay panting in front of him, a thin sheen of sweat making her skin glow in the moonlight.

"Get your dick back in this bed," she demanded hoarsely.

"'Mione, please," he begged, but she sat up, dangling her feet off the edge of the bed as she faced him.

"You seem to be under the misapprehension that that was a suggestion," she breathed softly, but he saw her eyes flash.

"You're playing with a fire you can't handle with that tone, little girl," he warned, feeling his control start to slip again as she slowly spread her legs in front of him.

"Burn me, Remus," she said.

Mooney howled and lunged forward and before Remus could help himself, he was buried in the slick, tight folds of Hermione's heat.

She gave a yelp of pain at the force of his initial thrust, realizing all-too-suddenly that his length and width were infinitely larger than what she was used to. Even Sirius, who was impressively endowed, didn't cause the amazing stretch that she now felt as she slowly adjusted to him.

He lifted her gently into his arms, apologizing repeatedly in her ear as she wrapped her legs around his torso. Kneeling back on the bed, he lay her gently against the pillows before attempting to move away. She locked her ankles behind him, not allowing him to move as her inner muscles tensed and he groaned, swaying slightly as he held himself above her.

"I don't want to hurt you," he whispered. "It needs to be slow."

"You're not hurting me," she replied raspily. "Now make love to me and don't you dare hold back."

He kissed her, starting to roll his hips gently. He felt her gasp against his lips, pulling away as she arched her back. He ran a finger down her body, feeling her skin respond to his feather-light touch. Her unblushing enjoyment of his actions made him growl and once again, Mooney lunged aggressively. Instead of a painful yelp, however, Hermione gave a long moan of pleasure before digging her heels into his back to repeat it.

Mooney was only too happy to oblige. Bracing himself by grasping the headboard, Remus thrust hard into her moaning, writhing body. His hips worked like well-oiled pistons, rolling smoothly in and out of her as his abdomen tensed and relaxed.

"Yes…oh God…fuck me…" she moaned, raising her hips to meet his thrusts. This was heaven. She felt a pleasure beyond physical. As he bent down to whisper those simple three words, she knew that this was what she had waited so long for.

She felt the pressure start to build in her abdomen as he continued to thrust hard, hitting that sweet spot inside her that had her toes curling. The pace, however, was maddening. It was slow, controlled, and she wanted speed and insanity.

She wanted wild, untamed, glorious chaos.

"Faster, baby…please…" she begged.

He groaned, weaving his fingers with hers before slamming her hands above her head, restricting her movements. His muscles rippled as he started to go faster, his concentration fully upon the beautiful moaning witch below him.

A bead of sweat slid from his temple and splashed onto her stomach.

"Open your eyes, lover,' he growled, his throat raspy.

She moaned, barely opening her eyes before closing them again.

"Open your eyes," he demanded, slowing slightly and receiving a strangled cry of frustration. "I want to watch you while you cum for me."

Her eyes fluttered open and there they were: a pair of big hazel orbs hooded by lust and a curtain of long dark lashes. He read everything in those eyes and when he gave that thrust, the one she had been waiting for, the hazel turned to pure gold, sparkling as she hit her peak before disappearing behind her tightly-closed lids.

Hermione couldn't breathe. Her body was on fire. Down was up and up was down and everything swam in a sensory hallucination of bright colors and ecstatic, breathtaking pleasure. Somewhere, far away, she heard someone that sounded like her screaming her lover's name. Her voice seemed muffled by that blissful paused second of breathless nirvana. In that moment, she loved him more than any other living thing on the planet.

He gave soft thrusts, watching her ecstasy as he willed control over his own. He thought he might die when her tight walls clamped around him and he groaned as he thought of anything but release. He watched her slowly descend from her high, watching her chest heave and her tongue lick her lips as the screams of passion subsided.

She looked up at her enraptured lover before realizing that he hadn't released yet. Catching him unawares again, she flipped him onto his back, slowly lowering herself down onto him. He hissed as the tight, wet heat captured him again, his eyes rolling back as her walls continued to twitch from her orgasm a minute earlier. With all her strength, she tightened her walls around him as she lifted her body up. He gasped, gripping her hips. She relaxed her inner walls and slowly came back down.

She continued this slow torture for a few minutes, gazing at his anguished face as she pushed him to the edge before bringing him back. She stubbornly ignored any attempts to guide her, so Remus just grasped the sheets below, both fascinated and unnerved by the sex kitten who was quickly pushing him to his breaking point.

Then, he snapped.

Unable to take the torture, Mooney burst forth, gripping her hips and pulling her off, throwing her on the bed beside him. Kneeling, he flipped her onto her stomach, roughly urging her onto her hands and knees. She purred, pleased by his reaction, and complied eagerly. He gripped her shoulder and entered her from behind.

Hermione let out a strangled cry of pleasure as he thrust hard, one hand digging into the soft flesh of her hip as his other gathered strength from holding her shoulder. In the back of her mind she knew there would be bruises but she could not have cared less. She was careening towards her fourth orgasm of the night and her body was quickly filling with a rabbit hole-esque thrill of violent color and sound, where everything and nothing made sense anymore and sensation was all she had as it became harder and harder to draw breath.

"I'm gonna cum, lover. Cum with me…" she moaned as her stomach tightened again and she screamed as her body exploded in what seemed like a never-ending orgasm as wave after wave of pleasure overtook her senses.

This time, her walls tightening and her wanton moaning was too much for him, and he bucked within her as she milked him so completely, spilling his seed deep inside her.

He howled.

Never before had the pleasure been so great, had the red sparks that had appeared behind his eyes been so bright, that he had allowed the wild, uncontrolled canine side of him to explode so extremely. He was awash with sweet, glorious, unbridled pleasure as his muscles tensed and then released in agonizing relaxation as her walls gripped him tightly.

He collapsed on top of her, the slick sweat on her back adhering seamlessly to the sweat that had slid down his chest. He was spent, completely and utterly spent.

"Why the fuck did we wait do Goddamn long?" she finally demanded from beneath him. Her voice was shaky, as if she had just found it after losing it for a long time.

"Because I'm an idiot," he said, kissing her shoulder blades as he endeavored to slide off her.

"Don't move," she said and he was only too happy to comply, too exhausted to argue that her comfort was at stake.

"You are, you know," she said after a minute. "An idiot, that is."

He chuckled.

"I'm sure you'll never get tired of hearing this, but you were right. I don't know how I'm gonna be able to leave tomorrow after that."

She tensed and he silently cursed himself for his lack of tact. They had just shared something extraordinary – sacred, even – and he had to go and ruin it by bringing in reality.

"I wish you didn't have to go," she whispered in a small voice. He knew she hadn't wanted to say it, but at the same time he knew it needed to be said.

Despite her groan of protest, he slid off her, turning to face her as she gazed at the sheets, running her finger absently over the soft burgundy threads. She remembered picking them out for him in Diagon Alley. Remus and Sirius had gone to do something for the Order and Mrs. Weasley, perhaps feeling justified in visiting the twins because Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione were there to deflect the mischief, had taken them Christmas shopping. Hermione, who had confided in Ginny that the sheets on Remus's bed were a bit itchy, had found herself being dragged into a store that sold linens. She had found the luscious burgundy cloth and Ginny had insisted on buying it for them as an early Christmas present.

"I don't want to leave you," he said honestly. "But…"

"I know," she interrupted. "I'll just miss you."

She didn't make him promise to return safely to her, and he didn't offer. They both knew it was ludicrous to even attempt the empty promise. Curling his arms around her, he pulled her close, kissing the side of her head.

"You're amazing, you know," he whispered. "Beautiful, smart, and sexy. You could have anyone. But," he added as he saw her start to protest. "I'm _very_ glad you chose me."

She smirked.

"Wasn't that difficult a choice, lover," she said.

Then she chuckled.

"You know, Ron warned me not to set you up on a pedestal in terms of your sexual prowess. He seemed to think there was a slight chance you would be disappointing."

She didn't elaborate and though he knew it was juvenile, he couldn't help the words that came out of his mouth.

"And the verdict?"

Her smirk did not go undetected.

"Meh…I've had worse."

He scoffed, poking her hard in the side. She laughed, her eyes glinting with mischievous glee.

"Sassy little swot," he said.

"Mmm…ferociously sexy beast," she purred, running her hand over his face. "Only you can make me hit those high notes, baby," she added.

He smirked arrogantly and she shook her head, finding the strength to lean up to him.

"Perhaps I shouldn't have told you," she said, running her tongue over the shell of his ear. "Might mean you won't try as hard next time."

He swallowed hard.

"Next time? 'Mione, I have to leave in the afternoon…"

"Wasn't it you that said we need to make the most of the time we have?" She nipped his earlobe. "And I mean to take advantage of that…and you…all night long."

He growled and she giggled, pulling the sheets over them as he ravaged her lips with his.


	20. Chapter 20: Truth and Tears

A/N: Hello all! So I realized that perhaps I was losing some readers since I wasn't exactly taking their kind plot suggestions into consideration. (This comes from the slightly OCD quality I have of planning out my stories before they're actually written and so 9 times out of 10, I already have a long standing plot line in mind.) Therefore, I'm thinking of taking a brief break from this serial to put up some oneshots (including the promised threesome). **The only way I will continue to work on this story without pause is with reviews!** I don't care if they're positive or negative, as long as they're constructive!

So, enjoy the next chapter and R&R!

**Chapter Twenty: Truth and Tears**

The hours that followed were a bit of a blur as Remus and Hermione spent them together, limbs entangled in the mass of sheets and thick winter blankets. No one bothered them when they failed to turn up for breakfast the next morning. Remus had a feeling that Kingsley had warned against any interruptions.

After several attempts to leave the bed and one interestingly erotic bath later, they finally surfaced for lunch. Walking down to the kitchen hand-in-hand they ignored Mrs. Weasley's pursed lips and lackluster greeting. Ron, Harry, and Ginny, however, grinned broadly at the couple as they sat. Hermione pretended not to notice the coy smiles the boys shared with her boyfriend or the heart pat on the back she received from Ginny.

"Sleep well, 'Mione?" Ron asked mildly as a wicked smirk played on his lips.

"Stop it, Ron," Ginny said reprovingly.

"What? It's an innocent question," he argued, but one look from Moody kept him from elaborating.

"What time do you leave, Remus?" Moody asked gruffly, tearing a chunk out of the thick piece of bread he had grabbed from the bread basket Mrs. Weasley was passing around.

"Around four," Remus replied, giving Hermione's thigh an affectionate squeeze. Both tried to ignore the current of sexual electricity that ran through them both at the contact.

"Leave for what?" Harry asked.

"Romania. We're going with Bill and Charlie," Kingsley said from the other side of the table, ignoring the scowl Moody shot him at the idea of telling non-Order members information.

"For how long?"

"A few weeks."

"A few weeks?!" Ginny squealed. "But you just…I mean…" She faltered, seeing the curious look on Mrs. Weasley's face, and fell silent.

"Who's going to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts while you're away?" Ron asked.

"I am," a voice said from the door and they all turned to see Sirius leaning against the frame. "Dumbledore's just asked me."

"Really?" Remus asked mildly, but Hermione could see a glint of possessiveness in his eye. Clearly, he wasn't thrilled with the idea that his girlfriend's ex-lover would be so near while he was so far away.

"I was as shocked as you, mate," Sirius said, walking over and sitting across from Remus and Hermione. "I thought for sure Moody would be going back with you lot."

"Couldn't have done it," Moody grunted, a bit of soup dribbling down his chin. "I leave for Durmstrang once term starts."

"What are _you_ doing at Durmstrang?" Tonks asked.

Moody's face darkened.

"That's between me and Dumbledore," he replied shortly.

Harry and Ron started to chat with Sirius about what he planned to teach while at Hogwarts, so Ginny turned to Remus and Hermione.

"I suspect you two had quite the night," she teased.

Hermione smiled, beaming at her blushing boyfriend.

"We did," she said simply before kissing Remus on the cheek. He smiled and once again they ignored Mrs. Weasley's disapproving gaze.

"So, professor, what are you going to do in Romania?" Ginny asked.

"Kingsley, Bill and I are just going to help your brother," Remus replied vaguely.

"Oh. Well, that doesn't sound _too_ pressing. Can't it wait until after the holidays?"

He smiled slightly.

"'Fraid not, Ginny. But I _do_ expect you to keep an eye on my girl here while I'm away. Make sure she behaves herself," Remus said, rubbing Hermione's back with a smirk as she narrowed her eyes playfully at him.

"When have I ever misbehaved, _professor_?" she asked, knowing from the night before that the right inflection on her last word would spark a fire in him.

"Hmm…wicked little minx," he murmured, nuzzling her neck softly as his grip on her leg foreshadowed a little replay of prior events once they were safely out of the kitchen.

"Sexy, _sexy_ werewolf," she whispered, trailing her hand up his thigh towards the bulge in his jeans.

He gave a growl that was much louder than he intended and he tried to cover it up with loud coughing. They received knowing smirks from Ron, Harry, and Tonks as Mrs. Weasley walked over to the fake-coughing, blushing werewolf.

"S'ok, Molly," Remus muttered as the woman slapped him several times on the back. Hermione could tell from the winces Remus gave that Mrs. Weasley had been a little more heavy-handed than necessary.

Once things had calmed slightly and everyone had finished eating, Kingsley gave a loud sigh and stretched.

"Well, I need to go finish up some work in the office. Hermione, would you mind walking me out?" he said, standing up.

"Oh. Sure," Hermione replied, somewhat surprised by the request. While she and Kingsley had an enormous amount of mutual respect for one another, they rarely communicated outside a group atmosphere.

"Molly, the food was delicious, as always," Kingsley said, maneuvering himself into Mrs. Weasley's sightline of Remus and Hermione before continuing with an unnecessarily long good-bye. Hermione knew this allowed her a small bit of privacy with Remus, so she took advantage of it.

"I'll be up in a few minutes to help you pack, darling," she said with a sweet smile, kissing his cheek before privately nipping him on the earlobe.

"Oh, you're in for it, woman," he breathed and she allowed herself a wide grin before following Kingsley out of the kitchen.

She expected them to go to the front door but Kingsley headed up the stairs to the library. More curious now, she followed him silently, looking at him expectantly as he closed the door behind them.

"Show me your shoulder," he said.

She looked at him blankly.

"I'm sorry?"

"Your shoulder, Miss Granger," he repeated sternly.

Frowning, she silently pulled the neck of her shirt over her shoulders, revealing the tiny pink love bites from Remus the night before. Kingsley examined them before sighing, motioning for her to cover up again.

"He hasn't marked you, has he?" he asked.

"Remus? No. He says we shouldn't."

Kingsley rolled his eyes, which both surprised and amused Hermione. She had always considered Kingsley like Moody – rough, tough, and infinitely more mature than the rest of the household. The act of rolling his eyes seemed slightly juvenile.

"Remus cares too much about other people sometimes," he said. "He doesn't consider his own safety."

When he didn't elaborate but continued staring contemplatively at her shoulder, Hermione cleared her throat.

"Um…I'm slightly confused," she said, though 'slightly' was an understatement. She had no idea why Kingsley had dragged her up to the library simply to talk about her relationship with his friend.

"I'm sorry, Hermione. I know this must be hard to grasp," he said apologetically. "It's just that I had hoped Remus would mark you, as it would have made life slightly easier."

"I…he said it could only happen when he…um…that is to say, when we…er…" She felt like an idiot, standing in front of a wizard she respected, blushing and stuttering like a schoolgirl.

Kingsley, however, seemed to sense her dilemma.

"Hermione, did Remus tell you what happens _after_ a werewolf marks his mate?"

"Yes," she said in a rush, glad to get into a more academic realm. "He said that a werewolf mark is like marriage, only much older and more powerful magic. The werewolf and his mate are bound to each other for life."

"Is that _all_ he told you?" he asked softly.

"Um…yes."

Kingsley sighed deeply, running a hand over his face in frustration. Hermione couldn't help but feel slightly put out. After all, if there was more to werewolf mating habits that she didn't know, it definitely wasn't _her_ fault.

"Please sit, Hermione," he said in a way that soothed her.

She sat as he started to pace.

"The mate of a werewolf, when marked, develops certain unique sensory attributes that would be almost impossible to attain any other way. It _is_ very old magic, like you said, but it's more than that. It's tied to love. Werewolves don't mark just any lover, Hermione. The desire to mark a mate comes only when the werewolf has met his soul mate."

Hermione blinked.

"Soul mate?"

Kingsley nodded.

"Once marked, you'll be able to share emotions, be very attuned to one another, and be able to sense where each other is at any given moment. In very rare cases, the mates are able to share thoughts. You can imagine, therefore, how beneficial that could be for us, especially when we have to go on missions like ours. You'd be a link to the Order that is constant, iron-clad, and impenetrable."

Kingsley sighed again, pulling out a thick envelope from beneath his robes. He hesitated but then handed it to her.

"As he hasn't marked you and isn't likely to in the," He looked at his watch. "Three hours before we have to leave, I'm forced to give you this. Please do not open it until absolutely necessary."

She took the envelope, looking at him questioningly.

"How will I know when to open it if I don't know what it is?"

"You'll know." He smiled down at her as he straightened his robes.

"Well, I best be off," he said. "On a personal note, I'm very, _very_ glad that Remus has you. I was starting to worry that he'd let you slip away. Anyway, take care of yourself and the boys and…oh!"

He turned back to face her, his face very bright.

"Please, for my sake, pay very close attention during your Transfiguration classes, as Minerva is teaching how to become an animagus this term. I will sleep much sounder knowing that there could be another animal other than Sirius who can keep an eye on Mooney."

Hermione smiled.

"I'll try. It's very difficult, though."

Kingsley grinned.

"I've never known you to back down from a challenge, Miss Granger."

She chuckled.

"Take care of my man while you're away, please," she said as he walked to the fireplace.

"I'll do what I can," he replied and she knew that was the most she could hope to expect. In his clear, deep voice, Kingsley said "_The Ministry!_" and disappeared behind dancing emerald flames.

Hermione walked slowly up to the room, her mind whirling with questions. Did Mooney honestly think she was his soul mate? And was Remus's refusal to let her be marked a sign that Remus disagreed with his primal instinct? That thought made Hermione's heart plummet to her stomach. She had slowly been getting used to the idea that Lupin could be the man for her. She wasn't the biggest supporter of the idea of marriage, finding it arcane and slightly stifling for the ambitious witch, but the idea of being magically bonded without the ceremonial pomp and palaver was appealing. And the only person she could have _ever_ seen herself with in that sort of commitment was Remus.

But perhaps he thought different.

She reached the door to their room and opened it, hearing his absent humming from the bathroom. From the sound of clinking glass she was sure he was packing several vials of Wolfsbane Potion.

He walked out of the bathroom holding a small carrying case and his mind was too focused on it to notice Hermione watching him from the doorway. She smiled to herself as he walked over to a small rucksack that sat on their desk, his brow furrowed in furious concentration as he remained blissfully unaware of her presence.

Once he had secured the contents in his rucksack she cleared her throat and he turned to face her. His face relaxed and mischief returned to his stormy gray eyes as he sauntered over to her, his hands thrust deep into his jeans pockets.

"You've been gone an awfully long time for someone who's just walking Kingsley out," he teased. "Had me here thinking up all sorts of sordid things to do to you once you returned to pay you back for your torture in the kitchen."

She sighed, her mind wandering back to Kingsley's words and her own questions. That effectively quashed any lingering lustful thoughts. He noticed the abrupt change and he frowned slightly.

"I was just joking, darling. I only came up with one or two sordid things before my brain went to packing."

He grinned and she chuckled, appreciating his attempt to cheer her up but knowing the conversation was inevitable. Slowly, she walked over to the bed, throwing the envelope carelessly on it, before sitting in front of him.

"Kingsley and I had a little chat in the library before he flooed back to work," she said.

"Oh? What did you chat about?"

"You."

"Really? How boring."

"Don't joke."

He looked into her eyes and found her near tears. He dropped to his knees in front of her, taking her face gingerly in his hands and swiping the pads of his thumbs under her eyes, catching a stray tear.

"What's wrong, love?"

"Why didn't you tell me about _why_ Mooney wanted to mark me?" she asked.

He frowned slightly.

"Why he wants to mark you? I don't understand."

"Or, I suppose the better question is why don't _you_ want to mark me?"

"Hermione," he said, and he looked slightly panicked. "It's a _huge_ step. It's like marriage, but there's _no_ way out of it. And I love you and one day I fully intend to marry you but now…you're seventeen, for God's sake!"

"That's not what I meant, you idiot," she snapped. "Why didn't you tell me that a werewolf only marks his soul mate?"

Remus blanched and she felt anger flare.

"Yeah, you conveniently left out _that_ detail when we talked about this whole relationship. You also didn't mention the sensory bond, or the fact that we would share emotions…Damnit, Remus, just when I thought we were passed you holding back from me…"

She couldn't meet his eyes. Even though she was angry, she was overcome with a sense of guilt. She suddenly felt upset with herself for exploding. He didn't need the stress, not with what he was about to face. Her shame came creeping up and her wounded pride didn't seem that big of a deal anymore. He had his reasons, she was sure, and they were probably valid. What did she know about relationships? For all intents and purposes, this was her first real one. How could she presume to dictate the terms of the arrangement?

"I'm sorry," she said quickly. "I know this is not the time…"

"No," he interrupted, daring to run a hand over her cheek and smiling when she nuzzled into his palm.

"I love you more than anything, 'Mione," he whispered. "And I couldn't dare to hope that you returned that love enough to bind yourself to me eternally. My hesitation comes from the fact that the words 'soul mate' have a definitive sound to it and it made me nervous because…well, I'm a poor, socially-unacceptable werewolf twenty years your senior and you're…well…perfect." He smiled sadly. "I don't feel like I deserve you."

"Oh Remus," Hermione breathed before kissing him deeply and wholeheartedly. "For someone so smart you really are quite thick sometimes." She leaned her forehead against his. "A very wise man once said 'If we men married the women we deserved, we should have a very bad time of it.' So you should realize that, whether you deserve me or not, you're stuck with me."

He chuckled, stroking her hair.

"That very wise man was very astute. Especially since he wasn't inclined toward the fairer sex." She looked surprised and he grinned, leaning into her lips. "Yes, my love, I've read Oscar Wilde."

He kissed her passionately, letting his hands explore her body in long, lazy caresses. Allowing herself to be taken by the man who she could now state with extreme certainty as her _soul mate_, she leaned back against the bed, closing her eyes as he removed her clothes.

He made love to her slowly, gazing into her eyes as their hips moved together. He knew her pleasure points by now and even at the mind-numbingly slow pace she was panting with anticipation. She could feel his self-control slipping too as his breaths became shorter and his grip of their entwined fingers got firmer. She lifted her head, whispering her love for him in his ear, coaxing him to let go, to join her.

They both climaxed at the same time and though she expected it, he did not mark her. It didn't bother her as much as she thought it would as a thought drifted into her mind. The man who had just made love to her, had just made her body ache and then release in glorious pleasure, was just that: a man. Remus had just made love to her. Not Mooney or a composite of the two. Remus, the man, had truly let her in.

"I love you so much," she whispered, tears falling freely down her cheeks and onto his chest.

"I love you too," he whispered and wrapped her in an embrace so tight she could feel his heart beat against his body.

When they finally left the bed again, Kingsley was already waiting downstairs for them. Hermione walked them down the foyer, which had seemed so endless before but now seemed too short. She kissed Remus passionately, bravely hiding her tears, and watched as he and Kingsley disapparated from the front steps.

She closed the door and collapsed in sobs. They wracked her body and she did not move until Moody, in a much softer, gentler tone than she was used to, quietly suggested that the understanding arms of Ginny or Molly Weasley might be more prudent for her emotions than the faded tile floor of the front foyer.

Letting him help her up, Hermione gave Moody a watery smile before apparating up to what was now _her_ room. She couldn't bring herself to look around. Everything was almost the same, but it was so different without him in it, and she let out a choked sob knowing that he wasn't going to enter the door with a bright smile anytime soon. Crawling into bed, she curled up in their bed and fell asleep crying.


	21. Chapter 21: Wise Words

**A/N:** Apologies for the delay in posting, but I've been working on two oneshots (an HG/SB called _How to Make a Bad Idea Worse_ and an RL/HG/SB threesome called _When the Masks Come Off_. Read 'em both!) so those have been taking up most of my time. Again, many apologies.

I'm not proud of this chapter, but I felt it was necessary for Hermione to have a grown-up conversation with someone who could kind of understand what she was going through. I know there are some people who are decidedly anti-Mrs. Weasley, but I happen to like her because I think anyone who could raise seven children and not go completely insane is worth liking.

So enjoy, and hopefully I'll have some more chapters up soon!

**Chapter Twenty-One: Wise Words**

Hermione stayed in bed for the rest of the day and she wasn't disturbed when she didn't go down for dinner. She suspected Moody's hand in her solitude, as he had been the only witness to her emotional breakdown. She was grateful, nonetheless, for the absence of her nosy friends and surrogate family as she allowed herself to cry until there were no more tears.

She knew she was pushing her luck the next morning when she didn't appear for breakfast, but the overwhelming urge to dive under the covers of the bed and stay there until Remus returned overpowered her better judgment. It didn't surprise her, however, when there was a soft knock at the door.

"Hermione?" Mrs. Weasley said softly. Hermione briefly wondered if she could pretend to be asleep, but she knew Mrs. Weasley well enough to know that even if she _did_ feign unconsciousness, the woman would wake her up.

Instead, Hermione looked over the covers to see the worried woman in the doorway. She knew she must have been quite a sight, laying entangled in bed sheets almost fully dressed in the clothes she had been wearing the day before. She knew her eyes were red and probably puffy and she couldn't stop her nose from leaking just a bit.

'Pathetic,' Hermione's stronger side snarled. 'You are being wholly pathetic.'

"I brought you some breakfast," Mrs. Weasley said, walking into the room and closing the door behind her.

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley, but I'm not very hungry," Hermione said, trying to be as polite as she could.

Mrs. Weasley smiled slightly.

"I know, dear. To be honest, the food is really only a distraction. Moody would have gotten suspicious if I came up here empty-handed."

Hermione frowned slightly as a note of dread hit her. Mrs. Weasley wasn't going to lecture her _now_, of all times, was she?

The older woman smiled again, tucking one of Hermione's errant strands of hair behind her ears in a comforting, maternal sort of way.

"I spoke with Ginny last night," Mrs. Weasley said. "I had to drag the information out of her but she seemed to be of the opinion that you and Remus hadn't been…" She faltered slightly but decided that her words were too important to stop. "That you two hadn't been intimate until two nights ago."

Hermione blinked. She wasn't entirely sure she understood what she was hearing. Did Mrs. Weasley _really_ come up to the room to discuss her sex life with Remus?

"I had to say I was somewhat surprised," the older woman continued. "After all, with Ginny and Harry and Ron and Tonks running around here like it's their own private bordello, I assumed you and Remus were…well…" She let her words trail off there, a fact which Hermione was most grateful.

"I think," Hermione said, finding her voice. "That most people had that assumption when we came back from Hogwarts."

Mrs. Weasley nodded.

"I need to…apologize…to you, Hermione. When Kingsley said you and Remus were dating I…well…I don't think you really want to know what went through my head."

Hermione smiled slightly.

"I can imagine it might have been something along the lines of disappointment and anxiety," she said.

Mrs. Weasley laughed.

"To say the least." She sighed, taking Hermione's hand. "You are like a daughter to me, 'Mione, and the thought that you were pursuing a relationship with a man who was twenty years older than you, _and_ a werewolf, was very frightening to me."

Hermione briefly realized that Mrs. Weasley had never called her by her nickname before.

"But when I saw you and Remus together, all of the puzzle pieces slowly started to come together. You're both infinitely more mature than your friends, and you both tend to be the voice of reason when it comes to the…well, we'll call them _rash_…decisions Harry, Ron, and Sirius have been known to make."

Hermione smiled slightly as she continued.

"But there's something else. You and Remus are both intelligent, kind, and generous souls and the fact that he's older than you only makes me realize how stupid I was to assume that you would date anyone your own age." Mrs. Weasley chuckled to herself. "You're much too mature for anyone even Bill's age."

Mrs. Weasley sighed.

"I can only imagine what you're going through right now, dear. I know how _I_ feel every time I have to watch Arthur go out on missions, and I've been with him much longer than you and Remus. It's scary."

"Yes," Hermione said. "Every time I think about it I just want to curl up and cry."

Mrs. Weasley smiled sympathetically.

"I know, darling." She stroked Hermione's hair lovingly. "But you have to know he's coming back."

Hermione shook her head.

"You know as well as I do that no one can guarantee that for me."

"No," Mrs. Weasley acquiesced softly. "No, I suppose not."

Hermione took a shaky breath.

"It's just…it's going to be so hard going back to Hogwarts without him."

Mrs. Weasley nodded.

"I know. But you'll have your friends. And Sirius is going to be your new Defense teacher. I know you're all quite fond of him."

Hermione tensed slightly. She had almost forgotten that Sirius was going to be replacing Remus as her Defense teacher. She wondered if Dumbledore would have Sirius continue with the private defense lessons for Order training.

Mrs. Weasley noted the change in the young woman's body.

"Are you alright, dear? Is something wrong?"

Hermione looked into the soft brown eyes of her surrogate mother and battled with herself to tell the full story to Mrs. Weasley. She needed guidance from someone older and wiser than Ginny or the boys, but she wasn't entirely sure the small amount of ground the two had covered was enough for Mrs. Weasley to help in this situation.

"I honestly don't know whether to tell you, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione heard herself saying, and she saw the hurt in the woman's eyes immediately.

"It's not that I don't want to tell you," Hermione continued. "It's just…it involves a lot of things I'm not particularly proud of and I don't want you thinking any less of me because of it."

Mrs. Weasley calmed slightly.

"I don't think there is anything you could tell me what would make me disappointed in you."

Hermione took a deep breath.

"Before Remus and I started dating," she said softly. "I slept with Sirius."

She examined Mrs. Weasley's face for any sign of disapproval or disappointment, but she couldn't find either. Instead, the woman smiled slightly.

"I suppose that shouldn't be that surprising."

Hermione must have looked slightly indignant, because Mrs. Weasley chuckled.

"Sirius can be a _very_ persuasive man when he wants something, my dear, and I have known for awhile now that he's had his eyes on you."

Hermione blinked.

"What?"

"Ever since last summer, when you came back to Grimmauld Place looking more like a woman and finally of age…well…Sirius is only human, after all. I wasn't convinced that he would persuade _you_ into his bed, but I suppose even strong women have weaknesses."

Hermione was stunned, and Mrs. Weasley pressed on.

"But surely you're not worried about something happening while Remus is gone, are you?"

"No, of course not," Hermione said quickly. "But…there's more."

Mrs. Weasley arched her eyebrow and Hermione looked away.

"Sirius and I…we weren't careful because it happened so suddenly…and we had a bit of a scare just when I arrived here…everything's fine," she assured when she saw panic rise in Mrs. Weasley's face. "But it brought to light the fact that Sirius's feelings…well…I don't think they are as casual as he led me to believe."

"Do you mean that he…wants a relationship?"

"I think so. But he knows I'm with Remus and of course he cares about his friend too much to do anything but…well…I still worry…especially if Remus is going to be gone for so long…I worry about his self-control."

Mrs. Weasley smiled slightly.

"Sirius is a good man. As much as I sometimes disapprove of his short temper or his reckless attitude, I know he's a good man. And I know that you are a good girl. I have full faith that both of you will be the very picture of loyalty."

"But see…that's the thing. Everything between Sirius and I started because of our defense lessons together. The thrill of danger and magic together…it heightened everything. I suppose I was…er…" Hermione blushed slightly. "Slightly _frustrated_ by Remus too and Sirius was willing but…what if that happens again?"

Mrs. Weasley took her hand.

"The fact that you're worrying about it means that it won't. You're guarded against what could possibly happen because you know it happened before. You have to trust yourself, 'Mione, to do the right thing. I have never known you to falter when it comes to doing the right thing, and if I know you – which I believe I do, better than ever now – I know that you love Remus enough to stay true to him, no matter what."

"Yes," Hermione said, a tear leaking from her eye. "I do love him. And I don't know how I'm going to be able to handle being apart from him without knowing if he's alright or if he's hurt or if he's…"

She was going to say 'dead,' but she couldn't bring herself to conjure the mental picture.

"He loves you, Hermione. I know he does because Remus doesn't do anything halfway. And what I saw in his eyes when he looked at you the day he left was nothing short of the miraculous look of unending devotion. So concentrate on him, and on the good things, and know that he is thinking of you too. Concentrate on your studies if you find it's too difficult to think of Remus. You have a future to think about also, you know."

Hermione smiled and for the first time in a long time, she remembered what it was like to have a strong maternal figure she could look up to and talk to. She had been lacking that over the past few years, with her own mother becoming increasingly distant due to her lack of understanding of the magical world. She now knew that she could talk to Mrs. Weasley about anything.

"Thank you," Hermione said softly before finally collapsing into the older woman's open arms.

"You're welcome, my dear," Mrs. Weasley whispered. "Anytime."


	22. Chapter 22: Has Hell Frozen Over?

**A/N:** This is a bit short, and it might not seem to address a lot, but I think it's going to set up an interesting new dynamic with several of the characters in the story. Anyway, for those of you who might not know, I have a new WIP up called _Playing the Players_. It's an HG/SB Marriage Law fic, but I think it's going to be fun. Also, for those who haven't already, check out my oneshots. And check out my profile because I totally pimped out my profile page with lots of fun stuff!

Many thanks to the devoted readers who have been kind enough to both read AND enjoy my other works. I hope I continue to live up to your standards!

AND AS ALWAYS - - READ AND REVIEW!

**Chapter Twenty-Two: Has Hell Frozen Over?**

In the first few weeks back at Hogwarts, Hermione was glad for the distraction her schoolwork provided from her problems. In the back of her mind, she wondered if Flitwick, McGonagall, and Snape all knew of her romantic pining, as all three seemed to take her under their wing – Snape somewhat grudgingly – with special projects.

Knowing that Hermione had read _Standard Book of Spells: Year Seven_ and memorized most of the charms by the first week of term, Professor Flitwick asked her to join the Tutorial Society. He offered her a temporary position as a teaching assistant with his first-year class in order for her to learn how to effectively mentor the younger students. Hermione had accepted the position eagerly and after a few days she found herself poised to conduct large study sessions twice a week.

Professor McGonagall seemed as convinced as Kingsley that Hermione needed to become an animagus, though whether the fervor stemmed from professorial pride or worry that Hermione's boyfriend might accidentally rip her to shreds, Hermione was unsure. All she knew was that within a week of being back, Professor McGonagall had insisted that she spend one night a week in one-on-one sessions to make sure she was adequately prepared.

When it came to Snape, Hermione had a sneaking suspicion that the long-nosed, unpleasant wizard would have rather gauged his eyes out with his own wand than approach the know-it-all Gryffindor willingly. But after a week of what Hermione assumed to be intense, quiet seething, Snape had begrudgingly asked her to stay after class.

_FLASHBACK_

_The silence was heavy as Hermione stood nervously in front of the decidedly unhappy potions master. She had spent the past few seconds wracking her mind for anything she could have done to incur his wrath, but each thought was as unlikely as the next._

_Finally, when her over-active imagination started displaying images of the end of mankind as she knew it due to an accidental slip of the hand during their last potions class, Snape spoke._

"_I think I should first make it abundantly clear that I am offering this with all reluctance and if I wasn't under direct orders from Dumbledore, we would not be having this conversation," he said._

"_Yes sir," she replied politely._

_Snape sat back in his chair, putting his fingertips together and looking at her thoughtfully. Hermione tried very hard not to show just how uncomfortable she was getting under his unblinking gaze. She knew he was doing it on purpose._

"_Dumbledore seems to think, due to your…shall we say, __ill-advised__...relationship with a certain half-breed, that you would be willing to take over my responsibilities as purveyor of his Wolfsbane potion?"_

_He seemed to sneer slightly as she pinked, holding her anger in check at his use of the word 'half-breed.' She wanted to shout at him, saying that Remus was very much __human__, thank you very much, and held more humanity in his little finger than the oversized, greasy bat in front of her would ever have._

_She, of course, kept those thoughts to her inner monologue._

"_Yes, sir," she said instead through gritted teeth. "I would like that very much."_

"_The Wolfsbane potion is extremely advanced and I know I don't have to explain to you the consequences if it is brewed incorrectly. Therefore, I'm prepared to…tutor…you," He seemed to spit out the words unpleasantly. "So that by the time he returns, you will be able to take over and I will not longer have to spend my time brewing it." He paused before maliciously adding: "That is...__if__ he returns."_

_Hermione paled, realizing that, of everyone in the Order, Snape would know the darker elements of the mission. He would know about the dragons, the vampire rebellion, and Remus. She felt a flash of fury burn as she realized how much he was going to enjoy toying with her._

"_When__ he comes back," Hermione stated in the coldest voice she could muster. "I will be prepared. When would you like to begin these lessons?"_

"_Friday. At eight o'clock," he replied silkily, seemingly unfazed by her calm. Being an accomplished Legilimens, though, she was confident he could read her thoughts easily._

"_Lovely," she bit back. "I will see you then, __professor__."_

_And she stormed out._

_END FLASHBACK_

Both Harry and Ron were slightly nauseated at the idea of their friend spending more time with Snape than academically necessary, but were uncharacteristically supportive nonetheless. Despite Ron's assertion that Hermione would end up wanting to slowly dismember the sarcastic professor, they both remained quiet about their own, colorful opinions. Both seemed to realize how important it was that someone _other_ than Lupin's snarky ex-schoolmate know how to properly brew his potion.

That following Friday, Hermione bid her friends farewell and headed down to the dungeons. She understood Harry's hesitance the previous term when he had to go to Snape's office almost nightly to prepare for his duel. Though thoroughly creepy during the day, the evening did nothing to enhance the dark, dank hallways. Hermione was convinced that even the wall sconces burned dimmer in that part of the drafty castle.

Whether he could sense her trepidation as she approached or he just thoroughly enjoyed riling her up, Snape kept Hermione waiting an additional ten minutes in the deserted classroom before he swept in. She was certain there was a definitive smirk on his face as he entered late, and she had to take several deep breaths and conjure loving images of her devoted boyfriend in order to stop herself from taking Ron's premonition of dismemberment to a painfully personal level.

"You won't need your cauldron tonight," Snape said, seeming to ignore the niceties that Hermione was certain her _other_ professors would have afforded her.

"You're to copy down the ingredients and method tonight and the next time we meet I want a full two scrolls explaining what each ingredient is, why it is used, and the significance of its position in the method."

Fuming, Hermione banished her cauldron away and pulled out her quill and parchment. In her haste and anger, she slammed the bottle of ink a little harder than she intended, shattering the glass and sending ink seeping all over the desk.

"Five points from Gryffindor, Miss Granger, for sheer stupidity," Snape said lazily, and Hermione briefly considered risking significantly more points and possibly a few detentions to let Snape know what she _really_ thought of him.

Knowing that any rash behavior on her part would result in exactly what Snape wanted – his release from having to teach her any more than he had to – Hermione quietly copied down the ingredients and method that had appeared on the blackboard. She did, however, let her subconscious revel in the many ways she could cause the greasy-haired louse bodily harm. She smiled slightly at the knowledge that if he _was_ reading her thoughts, he was probably squirming knowing that he couldn't do anything about it.

Half an hour later, she had finished copying the notes and once again tried to ignore the discomfort she felt as he looked at her.

"I assume from your fidgeting that you're finished?" he asked.

"Yes sir."

"Fine. We shall meet next week at the same time."

She couldn't the words that tumbled from her mouth:

"Is that eight o'clock _sharp_, or should I give you an additional ten minutes to adequately prepare all your snide comments?"

She cringed, readying herself for anything from a detention to the full force of an Unforgivable Curse. She silently cursed herself for her quick temper, knowing that it was on a shorter leash nowadays because of her worries about Lupin. But that was really no excuse to mouth off to a teacher. She was certain he definitely wouldn't continue with their lessons. She wondered what creative punishment he would come up with as she waited for the other shoe to drop.

She was thoroughly unprepared, however, for his soft chuckle.

"I envy Lupin," he said, and she saw his onyx eyes soften slightly. "I always knew you would be infuriatingly selfless in your relationships, Miss Granger, and I can't help but admire the fact that you are willing to put up with _me_ in order to make _his_ life better."

"I…er…um…_what_?" she stammered, torn between complete confusion and total, utter surprise.

He chuckled again and she thought she saw a glimmer of pride on his face.

"I'll see you in class, Miss Granger," he said, and he walked back to his office, leaving her speechless.

***

"Hey. How was snarky Snape?" Harry asked as Hermione entered through the portrait hole, still thoroughly bewildered.

"I…he…um…"

She couldn't find the words and after a few minutes of opening and closing her mouth in a decidedly goldfish-like manner, Ron frowned slightly.

"Did something happen, 'Mione?"

Her brow furrowed.

"He…well…"

"Oh no. He did something to you, didn't he? Did he jinx you?"

"I…no…he just…"

"What's going on?" Ginny asked casually, descending from the sixth year girls' dormitory.

"Hermione's been hexed by Snape," Ron said.

"_What?_" Ginny asked incredulously.

"She walked in looking very confused and hasn't put a coherent thought together since."

Ron's words started to sink in and Hermione furrowed her brow, turning to the concerned red-head.

"He didn't hex me, you idiot. He just…well…he…"

"See?! Case rests!" Ron said, gesturing wildly towards Hermione and barely missing Harry with his flailing limbs.

Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Ron, could you do us all a favor and stop thinking for yourself for a few minutes? Can you do that?"

Hermione knew Harry swallowed a snort of laughter in an attempted show of solidarity between him and his sulking best friend.

"What happened during your lesson with Snape, 'Mione?" Ginny asked calmly.

Hermione related her time with the potions master to her three friends, and by the time she finished they, like her, were completely gobsmacked.

"I've got it!" Ron said triumphantly after several seconds of silence.

"Got what?" Harry asked.

"The reason he said what he did. It's simple, really. Hell's frozen over. It's the only logical explanation."

Even Harry couldn't stop himself from giving Ron a withering look.

"I was sure I was going to get at least one detention, if not several," Hermione told Harry and Ginny as a thoroughly ignored Ron went to stew by the fire.

"I mean, it was fairly cheeky of me to say it, wasn't it? But that response…well…it was almost _civil_."

"I didn't think Snape had a civil bone in his body," Ginny said, looking thoroughly shocked. "I didn't even think Snape knew the _meaning_ of the word 'civil'. Especially not with Gryffindors."

"I suppose he had a temporary lapse of memory and thought you were a Slytherin for a moment," Harry said, shrugging helplessly. "Don't worry, he'll be the same annoying git the next time you see him."

Barring a sudden cold front whistling through the underworld, Hermione could think of no other reason that proved even remotely logical for Snape's odd behavior. Though slightly ludicrous, Harry's assertion that Snape might have had a momentary lapse in cranial functions was as likely as the next odd theory, so Hermione decided to go with it and prepare herself for a delayed reaction to her sass.

As she started to pull out her Arithmancy homework, she felt Ginny's hand on her arm. Looking at her friend, she saw both Ginny and Harry's attention was now focused on Ron. She followed their gaze and found herself slightly concerned.

He was grinning almost manically at the fire.

"Um…Ron? You alright?" Hermione asked warily.

"Brilliant," Ron said.

When he didn't expand upon his sentiments, Harry cleared his throat.

"You sure, mate? You look a bit…mental."

Ron started to chuckle darkly, rubbing his hands together as his blue eyes reflected the dancing flames of the fireplace. Hermione felt Ginny grab her forearm and noticed a look of sincere alarm on the young woman's face.

"I just realized something," Ron said, looking up at his friends. "Sirius and Snape haven't been in the same place unsupervised since they were in school together."

Harry's brow furrowed.

"Yeah. And?"

"_And_," Ron said, sounding like he was holding back an intense excitement. "Remember all the great pranks your dad and Sirius used to play on Snape? Oh, I can only _imagine_ what Sirius has in store for his old nemesis this term. It's going to be wicked."

Harry, Ginny, and Hermione all breathed a deep sigh of relief that Ron's fragile psyche was no more damaged than usual, and Hermione tried to chuckle appreciatively along with her friends. She found that her laughter got caught in her throat. She found this often happened when Sirius was brought up in conversation.

Ginny, Harry, and Hermione had decided against telling Ron about what exactly had occurred in Sirius's room between he and Hermione when they first arrived at Grimmauld Place. They knew how much Ron looked up to Sirius as a Don Juan role model, and they didn't want to burst the bubble with the reality that Sirius, though a Casanova in his own right, was in love with Hermione.

This did, however, make the thought of avoiding the subject of Sirius even harder.

"I'm so glad Sirius is continuing with the defense lessons," Ron continued. "He was so much fun when we were practicing for the duels, wasn't he 'Mione?"

She nodded, hoping she didn't look too halfhearted. Ginny and Harry both gave her sympathetic looks but luckily, Ron didn't notice anything as he continued to babble on about the upcoming defense lessons.

Excusing herself from the conversation – which had moved on to something involving Sirius, dungbombs, and Snape's undergarments – Hermione headed up to her rooms. She had been agonizing for days about the idea of being in a room alone with Sirius again. She trusted herself and on some level she trusted the mischievous Marauder. What she didn't trust, however, was her nerves compared with his resolve.

Hermione realized that Ron might have something with the idea of hell freezing over. She never in a million years thought that she would dread Sirius's company more than Snape's.

And as if that weren't enough to incite worry amidst the gods of nature, for the first time in her entire life, Hermione Granger went to bed without doing any homework.

**A/N: When you leave me a review, let me know where you think this is going to go. I have a vague idea (I threw my initial plotline out the window about 10 chapters ago) but I'd be curious to hear everyone's opinions/guesses.**

**This is also a ploy to get you to review, so just go with it!  
**


	23. Chapter 23: Peace and Understanding

**A/N:** So this is what I call a 'set-up chapter'. Since this story is in the twenties in terms of chapters, I feel I need to get the action moving along a bit. There are also some unexplained plot points that I've kept purposely out of the past couple of chapters (aka - the envelope). These will all be revealed in time. I promise once I lay the foundation, a lot will happen in a very short period of time.

**AND NOW** - On with the story and keep up the reviews! Can't get better without the feedback!

**Chapter Twenty-Three: Peace and Understanding**

The following week passed fairly uneventfully and as Hermione was about to enter the Great Hall for breakfast, she almost breathed a sigh of relief that there had been no major emotional issues for her to contend with.

She _almost_ breathed a sigh of relief.

"Hermione!" a voice called and Hermione tensed slightly. Sirius had been very good about maintaining a professional distance and she really didn't have any reason to believe that moment would be any different. But she knew he had been trying to get her to schedule her defense lessons and she had been avoiding _that_ like the plague.

"Good morning, Professor Black," she said politely, turning to face him as he approached her.

He sighed.

"I suppose the past five hundred and seventy-three times I've asked you to call me Sirius aren't really going to sink in if I keep reminding you, are they?"

She smiled slightly.

"I just like to maintain some emotional space between us, is all."

He ran a frustrated hand through his hair.

"For Christ sake, 'Mione, do you honestly think I lack _any_ self-control?" he hissed. "I _know_ you're with him. It's been painfully obvious for _months_ now. I'm trying to come to terms with it as best I can, so stop treating me like a fucking lech who can't keep his hands to himself because if I remember correctly, _you_ seduced _me_ that night!"

His eyes flashed angrily for a moment before he realized where they were. She said nothing as he took a deep breath, lowering his voice and taking a step back from her.

"I'm sorry, that was uncalled for. But do you understand how this is frustrating for me? You're my student, and yes, there is a lot that happened between us, but I miss just being your friend. You're the one who wanted us to forget everything but your behavior isn't really giving me the opportunity."

She saw a quiet desperation in his face and she had to remind herself that he had been nothing short of appropriate with her upon their return to Hogwarts. Though she had her hesitations, she knew she was making everything much worse by pretending he was a contagious disease.

"Alright," she said. "I'm sorry. What's up?"

"I haven't been able to schedule your defense lessons because you've always run out of the classroom before I get a chance to ask," he said, his tone slightly bitter. "So the only time I have left now is Friday nights. Does that work for you?"

"No, actually. I have a lesson with Profes…one of the other professors on Fridays."

He rolled his eyes.

"Honestly, Hermione, if we're going to keep going round and round this issue…"

"No, really," she said earnestly, giving him a small smile of sincerity. "I honestly have something. An extra tutoring session. With another professor." He looked at her incredulously so she added: "For NEWTs."

"Oh," he said, seeming to take that mild white lie without argument. "Well, which professor? I'll talk to them and maybe we can have _them_ reschedule. It's bloody hard to try and figure out how to fit nine defense lessons into seven days, so I'm sure they'll understand."

Hermione hesitated. While she knew Sirius would be supportive of her work on the Wolfsbane potion, she also knew the animosity he had for Professor Snape. The two barely looked at each other during meals, despite the fact that Dumbledore – rather boldly, Hermione thought – had them sitting next to each other. She didn't need a reason for Sirius to drop snide remarks about Snape every time she was within earshot nor did she need Snape to end up in a foul mood because Sirius had bullied him into changing the time of their lessons.

"I…I can't reschedule," she said. "Our schedules didn't match up at any other time. Are you certain there isn't another time we could meet?"

He looked doubtful.

"Well…maybe if you switch with one of the other students…"

"Great! I'll do that," she said quickly before turning on her heel and walking into the Great Hall before Sirius could ask any more questions.

Hermione spotted Luna sitting alone at the end of the Ravenclaw table and headed over to her.

"Luna," she said, slipping next to her friend and watching as Luna's protuberant blue eyes turned to her thoughtfully.

"Good morning," Luna said dreamily.

"Oh. Right. Morning," Hermione said dismissively. "Listen, you couldn't do me a favor, could you?"

Luna regarded her for a moment.

"I can try," she said. "Though, it _is_ easier to say 'yes' when I know what it is."

Hermione fought the urge to roll her eyes.

"I need to switch my defense lesson time with someone. When's yours?"

"Monday nights."

"Perfect. Will you switch your Monday nights with my Friday nights?"

She looked pensive.

"I like to keep my Friday nights free, as they are the most ideal time to catch the lily-flies in the owlery..."

Not really having the time or energy to listen to Luna explain what lily-flies were, Hermione instead looked pleadingly into her friend's serene face.

"You would _really_ be helping me out, Luna," she said.

The blonde witch sighed.

"Well, I suppose Dad will have to find someone else to research lily-flies. Alright, Hermione, I'll switch."

"Thank you _so_ much."

Hugging her friend, Hermione stood and walked over to the Gryffindor table, sitting beside Harry. He glanced over at Luna before looking back at Hermione.

"What was that about?" he asked mildly.

"What? Oh. She switched her defense lesson time with me because the only time Sirius had free was Friday nights."

Ron's brow furrowed from across the table.

"What are you doing Friday nights that you can't do the lessons?" he asked before shoveling a forkful of eggs into his mouth.

Hermione looked at him, slightly disgusted. She had never gotten used to his barbaric eating habits.

"I have my lessons with Professor Snape on Fridays," she explained.

Ron brushed the fact aside dismissively as he swallowed his mouthful.

"I'm sure Dumbledore will be fine asking Snape to reschedule on a different day. He knows how important our defense lessons are. No need to inconvenience Luna."

"I'm _not_ inconveniencing Luna," Hermione said hotly. "And furthermore, I would rather inconvenience Luna than Professor Snape."

Harry arched an eyebrow.

"Since when?" he asked.

"Since…since…well, I wouldn't want him to think me ungrateful."

Ron nearly choked on his orange juice.

"Since when do you care what Snape _thinks_?"

Hermione bit her lip slightly. Since their odd conversation the last Friday, Professor Snape hadn't been nearly as snippy with her and had almost smiled as he was inspecting potions assignments and hers had been exceptionally brewed. Harry and Ron, of course, did not notice any changes as Snape was still as unflinchingly rude to them as ever, and seemed affirmed in Harry's assessment that Snape's civility toward Hermione had been an accident.

Though she found Snape's behavior towards her slightly disturbing, Hermione couldn't help but feel a soft gratitude toward the man, despite having spent the majority of her seven years at Hogwarts loathing him.

"Professor Snape doesn't _have_ to teach me how to brew the Wolfsbane potion," Hermione whispered, glancing around so they weren't overheard. "I would like to stay on his good side, thank you."

Ron scoffed.

"He doesn't _have_ a good side, 'Mione. It's _Snape_."

"Five points from Gryffindor, Mr. Weasley, for your insolence to your superiors," Snape's silky drawl said from behind them, and Ron's ears went red as the professor looked down sneeringly at them.

"Good morning, professor," Hermione said timidly as he regarded her for a moment.

"Is everything set for this evening, Miss Granger?" he asked. "I heard you might be working with Professor Black on Friday evenings."

She could hear from his tone that he would rather chew nails than give Sirius the title of 'professor,' but he knew the rules of authoritarian decency required him to attempt civility with his co-workers. Or at least a feigned respect in front of the students.

"No, I'm not meeting with Professor Black," Hermione said. "I informed him I was already academically occupied on Friday evenings."

Once again, she saw the glimmer of pride in his eyes as a slight smirk appeared on his lips.

"Very well, Miss Granger. I will see you at eight o'clock _sharp_."

And he turned and glided towards the teacher's table.

"Bloody hell," Ron said angrily. "You must be _mental_ to prefer spending your Friday evenings with _that_ greasy old bat over Sirius."

Hermione said nothing, going back to her toast and eggs.

A few minutes later the owls arrived. Hermione didn't bother to look up, expecting nothing that morning, but soon a handsome gray owl swooped down to her, a scroll attached to his leg.

"Who's it from?" Harry asked, feeding the foreign owl a bit of bacon as Hermione slit open the scroll with her wand.

"I don't know. I'm not expecting…" But she trailed off and her heart swelled as she recognized the neat, sweeping penmanship.

'_My love,'_ the letter started,

'_It's been weeks since we parted and every hour brings thoughts of you, unbidden but not unwelcome. Your face urges me through many a difficult day, as I am consumed constantly by the fires of discontent and instigated anger of those great foes. I am unscathed by their wrath, however, as my thoughts of you drive me on in battle._

_The King and his gingered subjects are in equal spirits as we all dream of our princesses. I hope you do not worry for me, my love. Those who want my blood are not close at hand, for fear of my wild moonlit walks._

_Know that I love you thoroughly and pray for the day when I am reunited with you again. Send my regards to the Jester and your loyal knaves, and always listen to the azure-eyed man._

_Eternally Yours,_

_Your Moonlit Prince.'_

Hermione giggled slightly, flushing at the romance and lyricism despite the codes that only she and her friends would fully understand. A Marauder he was, certainly, but a romantic just the same.

"Bit of a sap, isn't he?" Harry said with a grin as he read over Hermione's shoulder. "Still, glad to know all is well."

Ron grabbed the letter and read it. He arched an eyebrow as a grin crossed his face.

"He never struck me as the romantic sort. Long-winded, too. Why can't he just say 'I love you' and leave it at that?"

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"It's _code_, Ronald," she said softly. "'_…fires of discontent and instigated anger of those great foes_' – those are the dragons. '_The King and his gingered subjects_' – well, obviously that's Kingsley and your brothers. '_Those who want my blood_' – again, obviously the vampires – and '_wild moonlit walks_' are his transformations."

"Oh," Ron said with a sheepish laugh. "I thought it was all just some romantic nonsense, really."

"I thought the way he describes Sirius, us, and Dumbledore was quite clever," Harry said. "'_Send my regards to the Jester and your loyal knaves, and always listen to the azure-eyed man_' – that's quite good, actually. He has a way with words, that one."

Hermione smiled to herself and a sense of peace flowed over her as she reread the letter, playing absently with the ring around her neck. She had been worried sick about Remus and the silence from Dumbledore on the subject made the entire situation worse. She was grateful to her boyfriend for writing in order to put her at her ease, though she knew the potential danger they could have been in had the letter been intercepted.

"Hermione, is it true?" a high-pitched voice squealed and Hermione quickly shoved the letter into her book bag as Parvati and Lavender rushed over to her.

"Is what true?" she asked.

"That Professor Black set your defense lessons for Friday nights!" Parvati said in shrill excitement.

Hermione's brow furrowed.

"Um…initially, yes. But I switched with Luna."

"_What_?!" both girls shouted and Hermione knew she was in for one of those girlish heart-to-hearts that both she and Ginny detested.

"Do you know how _sacred_ a weekend lesson is?" Lavender asked. "Only you, Harry, and Ron were in the running for it!"

"I don't understand…why are they so sacred?"

"_No curfew_," Parvati said, a mischievous glint in her brown eyes. "The lessons could go _all night long_ and no one would be the wiser."

Hermione sighed. Of course. This had more to do with the two girls' silly crushes on Sirius and less on the lessons themselves. She briefly wondered how on earth the two managed above an 'E' on their Defense Against the Dark Arts OWLs.

"Well, if you want the spot, I know Luna would be happy to have her Friday nights back," she said.

The two girls looked at each other before rushing over to the Ravenclaw table. Rolling her eyes, Hermione turned back to her breakfast.

"I wish _I_ could cause that reaction," Ron said with a glance up to the teacher's table to watch Sirius excuse himself and leave the hall. "That man is my hero."

"They can have him," Hermione mumbled. "More trouble than it was worth."

Harry chuckled.

"Everything serves a purpose, 'Mione. If life hadn't happened the way it did, do you honestly think your boyfriend would have been spurred into action?"

She sighed.

"I suppose not," she said. "Still…"

"Careful," Ron warned as Lavender and Parvati came back over. Parvati looked rather smug as Lavender pouted angrily.

"I can't _believe_ you did that," she seethed.

"What? She had something to do on Tuesday evenings. Don't be bitter," Parvati replied, though she had a triumphant smile on her face.

"But you _know_ how much I fancy him. And I could have worked something out with Luna!"

"Oh calm down. You'll still have Professor Lupin when he returns. I think you made some headway with him last term. He seemed keener on you right before the holidays. I'm sure once he comes back, he'll see you and realize there's an attraction. In the meantime," Parvati's eyes twinkled again. "I'll let you know how I progress with Professor Black."

Hermione nearly choked in her pumpkin juice as she heard the two girls talking about her boyfriend. She was prepared to say something about it when she realized that the fact that he _was_ her boyfriend was not public knowledge, and in order to keep it that way she certainly couldn't reveal that information to the two girls sitting in front of her.

Ron chuckled heartily as Harry patted Hermione's back helpfully.

"Girls, I expect it's time you found this out," Ron said. "Lupin is currently in a very serious relationship with a rather remarkable and _powerful_ witch who would gladly hex you into next week if she heard you talking about her boyfriend like that."

Lavender frowned and looked at Hermione.

"I thought you said he was single?" she asked accusingly.

"He was. Back in the beginning of November. He isn't anymore," Hermione replied haughtily.

Parvati sighed.

"Pity. Well…is she an Order member? Will we meet her during initiation?"

Harry laughed.

"I daresay you might."

Hermione gave her best friend a look, but he merely smiled, throwing her a wink before patting her shoulder and going back to his breakfast.

"Hermione," Lavender said suddenly. "What's that?"

Hermione looked at where Lavender was pointing and saw the ring was still sitting outside her robes. She tried to tuck it back quickly, but Lavender was quicker. She grabbed the chain and Hermione felt her head being yanked forward as Lavender and Parvati examined the ring.

"'_Eternally Yours_'? Who is eternally yours, 'Mione?" Parvati teased.

"Er…it's a family heirloom. On my mother's side," Hermione replied, hoping the gods of love did not smite her for her lie.

"Nonsense. You're blushing," Lavender said and Hermione could see her eyes light up as she remembered Hermione's nightly disappearances the previous term. "This is from your mysterious boyfriend last term, isn't it?"

"I don't…it's…no!" she stammered, but she knew she was caught.

"This is a lovely ring. He must be doing well. Or from money. I bet he's a Slytherin. Is it Draco?" Parvati asked.

"Absolutely not!" Ron roared, seeming thoroughly insulted that anyone could even _think_ the Gryffindor golden girl would date the likes of Draco Malfoy.

"You know who it is?" Lavender asked excitedly.

"'Course I do," Ron huffed. "But I'm not telling _you_."

Hermione felt a surge of affection for her friend's loyal determination.

"Come on, Hermione, it can't be too bad. It's not like Miss Goody-Two-Shoes is dating a professor or something, right?" Parvati said, laughing at her own joke.

Hermione laughed nervously, casting a panicked look in Harry's direction. He seemed just as clueless as she on how to proceed, but luckily, salvation came in the form of Ginny's cheerful appearance.

"Good morning," she said pleasantly, seeming to sense something was wrong with her female friend and plopping down between Hermione and Lavender instead of sitting next to Harry. "And what are we conspiring about so early, ladies?"

"We're trying to figure out Hermione's mystery man. We just saw her necklace," Lavender explained.

"Oh, yes, it is lovely, isn't it? But did I show you what _Harry_ got me for Christmas?"

She extended her hand to show them the ring and the two girls erupted into shrill cries of delight as Hermione heard Harry groan slightly. Throwing Ginny a grateful smile, Hermione made a quick exit and rushed down the hall to her first class.

She had momentarily forgotten that she had been avoiding the teacher of said class.

"Wow. Two times in one morning you're alone in my presence, Hermione. Be careful. You wouldn't want people to get the wrong idea," Sirius said as she entered and she jumped. Glancing at the clock on the wall, she realized that she was early, but not early enough that he wasn't going to be in his classroom. She had been too preoccupied to remember he had left the teacher's table.

"I…er…" But there was no escaping so she settled on the truth. "Lavender and Parvati saw the ring Remus gave me for Christmas."

"Ah," he said knowingly. "I suppose they put the Spanish Inquisition to shame."

"To say the least," she replied, chuckling. Then she sighed. "I got a letter from him, you know."

He smiled slightly.

"I figured as much. You were looking pretty goofy for a few minutes after the post arrived." He stepped around his desk, leaning against it as he looked at her. "And how is our darling lycanthrope?"

"Fine. He says he's unscathed and that the vampires are avoiding him for now. He says 'hi' to you and Harry and Ron."

Sirius nodded, looking thoughtful, before smiling at her.

"So…have you managed to figure out a time that works for you?"

Frowning at the rapid change in subject, she must have looked confused because he added: "For our defense lessons."

"Oh. Yes. I switched with Luna." Then she frowned. "But then Luna switched with Parvati, so I'm not 100% on the details. All I know is, Parvati is quite eager to have you all to herself Friday nights."

Sirius sighed dramatically.

"These schoolgirl crushes are going to be the death of me. Do you know I've gotten at least a dozen disguised love potions since I've been here? I nearly ate a chocolate frog laced with Venus powder given to me by a _second-year_." He shuddered. "That would have been unpleasant."

Hermione laughed, shaking her head as she sat down at her desk towards the front. She had almost forgotten how easy it was to talk to Sirius. She couldn't believe it had been almost three months since their night together. For some reason, the night seemed much closer.

"I don't know what's going to happen if Lavender and Parvati keep on me about my mystery boyfriend," she said, changing the subject back to Remus. "You couldn't distract them, could you? Casual flirtations to keep them guessing which one of them you'll eventually ravish against your desk?"

He arched an amused eyebrow.

"I don't know whether I should be worried because the head girl is encouraging my inappropriate behavior with students, or amused at your vivid fantasy life."

She blushed slightly.

"Sorry. It's just…it's been almost a month since Remus left and with Valentine's Day coming up, I'm feeling a bit lonely."

"Ah," was all he said and she knew he was holding back a comment about what happened the last time she got lonely.

"Well," he said, deciding to pursue a safer line of dialogue. "At least you'll have the Hogsmeade visit over the Valentine's Day weekend. That should make things easier."

She shrugged.

"I'm not entirely sure I'm going to go. I mean…Harry and Ginny are going together and Ron's got a gaggle of girls who seem to follow him everywhere…and I don't think I could handle all the lovey-dovey giggly crap. Not on Valentine's Day when my boyfriend is consistently putting himself in mortal peril."

"I suppose that's understandable," Sirius said. Then he smiled slightly. "Well, I'm going into Hogsmeade to patrol while the students are there. Why don't you come with me? Four eyes are better than two."

She gave a skeptical smile.

"I don't think that's such a good idea."

He sighed.

"Hermione, you've managed to remain alone and unmolested in my presence for more than five minutes. Can we _please_ start to get over this already?"

She smiled apologetically. She knew she was just making an awkward situation worse by cutting him off completely. And Molly was right – Sirius was a good man, regardless of his mischief. And he hadn't _really_ done anything to make her feel like he would betray Remus's friendship. Perhaps she should start giving him the benefit of the doubt.

"Will you let me think about it, at least? The patrolling, not the getting over...this whole situation," she said as he continued to look at her expectantly.

"Sure," he said warmly, smiling. Then he looked at his watch.

"Well, if I'm going to subtly seduce two silly young seventh years to the point of distraction, I suppose I must look the part of the gorgeous bad boy," he said before coyly adding: "I've been dying for an excuse to shed these ridiculous teacher's robes. They do absolutely _nothing_ for my figure."

Hermione rolled her eyes with a smile and watched as he bounded up to his office. Shaking her head, she felt a rush of relief. Perhaps she hadn't changed him so very much after all.

***

"Good evening, Miss Granger," Snape said as Hermione entered the potions classroom later that night, five minutes early for the lesson. She started, expecting the classroom to remain empty for another five minutes at least. She didn't expect him to spend any more time around her than absolutely necessary, despite the fragile truce they seemed to have built over the week.

"Good evening, professor," she replied, automatically going to her bag for her homework assignment.

He put his hand up to stop her.

"I already know that your research is undoubtedly flawless and have already marked it accordingly for the term." At her look of puzzled surprise, he chuckled warmly, adding: "Consider it extra credit."

"_What_?" she asked incredulously.

He chuckled warmly again, which further unnerved her.

"Don't spread it around, Miss Granger, but I _do_ have a 'good side,' as your insufferable friend put it this morning, and while I will not extend your friends the same courtesy, I am not ignorant to the fact that you are a very intelligent young witch, despite your childish know-it-all tendencies."

Supposing that that was the most she could really expect from him in terms of praise, Hermione swallowed the small bubble of pride that flared at his mild accusation. Instead, she pulled out her cauldron and felt relief pour over her as he said nothing to deter her actions.

They worked together for over an hour, with Snape explaining those things that could only be learned from an exceptional potions master. Hermione remained silent mostly, taking notes when she needed and absorbing every aspect. She had never had too much difficulty with potions, but she found it infinitely easier to learn when Snape was pleasant instead of snide.

As she was packing up to go, she felt his eyes upon her once more. Daring herself to test his parameters of civility, she looked up at him, meeting his cool black eyes defiantly with her hazel.

He almost smiled.

"I saw you got a letter from your beloved this morning," he said casually, only a hint of sarcasm to his tone.

"Yes, I did," she replied.

He nodded slightly.

"I'm sure I don't need to tell you how foolish it would be to attempt to write back."

She sighed.

"Yes, I know."

He nodded again before letting his fingertips come together, examining her over them in an indecisive manner. She stood motionless, searching his eyes in a way she never would have dared before, trying to make some sense of his recent affability.

"I want to…apologize...to you, Miss Granger," he finally said, and she felt her eyes widen as she digested his words. "I want to apologize for my unkind words when I first approached you about these lessons. I shouldn't have called Lupin a half-breed, and it was cruel of me to say he might not return from his mission."

She felt a strange surge of affection for the man, knowing how difficult it probably was for him to say those words to her.

There was another moment of silence before she sighed.

"I suppose it was slightly idealistic of me to assert that he would," she admitted quietly.

He looked at her and in a second there passed an understanding between them that she would be quite free to treat him like an equal when they were working alone together and he would treat her with civility.

He cleared his throat as she turned to leave.

"I'm not saying I approve of your relationship with him," he said. "But…I suppose it makes a certain amount of sense."

She smiled slightly.

"Don't worry," she said, allowing a warmth in her voice that she had never used with him before. "I won't tell him you said so."

Snape smirked slightly.

"Good night…Hermione."

"Good night, Severus."

* * *

**A Grateful Author's Second Note:** So I want to give a HUGE shout-out to ALL my reviewers who have stayed with this fic since it's inception, and I want to pay special attention to a few who have been diligent in reviewing almost every update/chapter.

**BloodySk8t3r** - thanks again for the review...it made me smile; **Forget Me Not Blue** - always so positive, and don't worry...Remus will mark Hermione soon; **GreenEyedBabe** - I think you've reviewed all my stories, lol - thanks!; **LK-HoGwArTs-hEaDgIrL** - always short, sweet, and to the point; **diamond-helen** - so supportive! Thank you for taking a risk on this story; **kmedh** - thanks for allowing me to like Molly Weasley, lol; **Irritable-Grizzly69** - another who is always there for a piece of positive feedback - always appreciated; **Court-xx** - you made my day - thanks; and **pstibbons** - if you're reading this, I know you didn't take me off your story alert, and thanks for putting up with my story despite it's lack of Weasley/Sirius-bashing. If you're not reading this, well...sorry to have lost you as a reader because of my lack of Weasley/Sirius-bashing.

I know I've missed a LOT of people, and I apologize if your absence from this short list makes you feel unappreciated. Believe me, you are MOST appreciated, and once I get the time I will comb through my reviews and pay my respects to every single one of you, I promise.


	24. Chapter 24: Animagus Agonized

**A/N:** Hey everyone - Thank you so much for the lovely reviews, and keep them coming! This chapter ends a bit abruptly but I did it on purpose because it would have been super-long otherwise. :-b If you all like it, please show me love. I've been thinking of being that obnoxious writer that requires a certain number of reviews before she'll update again. Don't push me there, people!

READ AND REVIEW!

**Chapter Twenty-Four: Animagus Agonized**

"I hear congratulations are in order," Snape said as he watched Hermione weigh an ounce of powdered cherry root on her scales.

She looked up, slightly confused.

"Congratulations?"

He smiled.

"I believe there's a new unregistered animagus in the Order."

She smiled slightly.

"Oh. Yes. Thank you."

"I'm also told that Lupin is no longer the only wolf around."

He was teasing her gently, and had it been a few weeks earlier she would have been horrified by it. Now, however, she was used to this previously-unseen softer side of her multi-faceted professor so she smiled sardonically at him.

"What were you expecting? An otter?" she joked, referring to her much less-intimidating patronus.

"Professor McGonagall seemed convinced you would be a feline of some kind. I can't help but reveal her mild disappointment."

Hermione shrugged.

"It seems Remus has etched himself indelibly upon both my heart and my magic."

Snape nodded knowingly.

"As it should be with soul mates."

It was the Friday before the Valentine's Day trip to Hogsmeade. Once again, Hermione was in the potions classroom finishing her third – and by far best – batch of Wolfsbane potion. She knew her lessons with Professor Snape were drawing to a close as she was quickly getting the hang of the potion and would no longer need his help after a few more successful batches, but so far the man had said nothing on the subject and neither had she.

As she stirred the potion in slow, counter-clockwise rotations, Hermione let her mind wander back to that previous Wednesday evening. She had been working diligently with Professor McGonagall every week that term to prepare for her final animagus transformation, and finally, that Wednesday the older woman was convinced that Hermione was ready for it.

_FLASHBACK_

"_Alright, Miss Granger, I believe you are adequately prepared to attempt your first transformation," Professor McGonagall said after Hermione had rattled off the Seven Rules of Transformative Magic with an ease that proved her intellect._

"_Really?" Hermione replied, half-eager, half-anxious. Her body had been tense all week knowing that the day was quickly dawning when she would know exactly what her animagus form would be. The anxiety had almost been all-consuming._

_McGonagall seemed to sense her star pupil's apprehension and she smiled warmly._

"_Just relax, dear," she said in a maternal way. "Just think of how this could help Remus."_

_Hermione blushed slightly. She wasn't entirely sure she was comfortable with her mentor's knowledge of her love life, but she was still oddly relaxed by McGonagall's unquestioning acceptance of it._

_Thinking of Remus, Hermione relaxed and allowed herself to go over all the elements of her transformation. The process was deceptively simple, but the amount of work and concentration involved was staggering. Had Hermione not put in so much extra effort studying the process in the years preceding her lessons, she might not have been able to learn as quickly._

_Taking a deep breath, Hermione nodded that she was set and McGonagall stepped back a few paces, wand at the ready should something go terribly wrong._

_Hermione didn't want to think of what could__ go wrong._

_Concentrating fervently on her magic, Hermione closed her eyes and silently spoke the required incantation._

_For a brief second, she feared that it hadn't worked._

_But then she felt an odd sensation of dizziness and she grasped for the focus that the dizziness had been distracting from. She felt the uncomfortable bend of her bones and took in a sharp breath as she felt herself sink down to the floor._

_When she finally opened her eyes, she saw McGonagall smiling proudly, though the older witch seemed to have grown several feet. Slightly confused, Hermione tried to stand but automatically her animal body remained on four limbs instead of two._

"_Well done, Miss Granger," Professor McGonagall said, and Hermione cringed slightly as the professor's voice was infinitely louder than what she was used to. Hermione went to ask McGonagall what she had transformed into, but her voice came out in a rough growl._

_McGonagall chuckled._

"_I don't speak wolf, my dear," she said warmly and Hermione felt a wave of happiness as she unsteadily padded over to the mirror in the corner._

_If wolves could smile, Hermione would be grinning madly._

_The animal in the mirror was beautiful. She had a coat of sleek honey-brown fur and seemed to stand regally as she examined herself. Her tail whipped around happily, the whole appendage an extra-bushy brown. The wolf's hazel eyes sparkled with warmth and as she turned back to the amused professor, Hermione tried to show her gratitude with a soft, affectionate whimper._

"_You're most welcome, my dear," McGonagall said. "Though, might I suggest you change back to your human form? Hogwarts has already experienced enough wolves roaming the hallways in the past few years."_

_Once again, Hermione focused on her inner magic and found her transformation back to her human form much quicker and infinitely less uncomfortable._

"_Excellent, Miss Granger," the professor said to the beaming girl. "Now, instead of focusing entirely on your inner magic, all you need to do is concentrate on your animagus form and speak the incantation."_

_Hermione practiced a few more times and was feeling comfortable with it when Professor McGonagall looked at her watch._

"_Well, my dear, it's almost time for you to head back to the tower," she said. "Now, Professor Dumbledore suggests that you remain unregistered for the time being, as the knowledge of your abilities would be detrimental in the wrong hands. I will, of course, inform him of your work tonight, No doubt he'll be very pleased."_

"_Thank you, professor," Hermione said gratefully and, in a rush of emotion, hugged the older woman._

_McGonagall chuckled, patting Hermione's head affectionately._

"_You're welcome, child," she said. "Now, I'm sure there are three __very__ eager young Gryffindors who are beside themselves with anticipation."_

_Hermione laughed and, grabbing her book bag, ran out of the room._

_END FLASHBACK_

Hermione finished her stirring and added the carefully-chopped Wolfsbane flower. The potion smoked and hissed before turning into a pale blue color. Flushing with pleasure, Hermione turned proudly to Snape, who looked at it and nodded with a slight smile.

"Very good, Miss Granger," he said professorially. "I think that is your best so far."

"Yes sir."

With a wave of his wand the contents vanished and Hermione started to put her supplies away.

"So…you're joining the mutt while he patrols Hogsmeade tomorrow?" Snape asked, watching her with his arms folded comfortably across his chest.

She gave him a disapproving look.

"Yes, _Sirius_ and I are patrolling Hogsmeade tomorrow."

He looked at her pensively.

"You _will_ be careful with him, won't you?"

She chuckled.

"I don't think Voldemort is going to come strolling into Hogsmeade tomorrow." Then she looked at him sharply. "He isn't, is he?"

Snape gave a slight scoff.

"I know you don't honestly think I'm _that_ irresponsible."

"Right. So no worries then. No danger, unless some student goes a little too crazy with some Zonko's products."

"That wasn't the kind of 'careful' I was referring to, Miss Granger."

She looked at him, puzzled, and his brow furrowed in contemplation.

"Black's is an…well, we'll say _interesting_…mind to examine."

Hermione paled.

"You've been reading Sirius's thoughts?" she asked, horror-struck.

"Occasionally," he said remorselessly. "You know the saying. 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.'"

"Sirius is hardly your enemy."

"He's hardly my _friend_."

"He'll kill you if he finds out," she warned, though she knew _she_ would not be the one to inform him that his childhood nemesis was poking around in his private thoughts.

"Trust me, I do not linger. But I have learned enough to know that there was a definitive link between the two of you at some point. Anything you'd like to share?"

Hermione looked at him disbelievingly. Over the past few weeks, their relationship had developed into an odd, almost parental one. He was the magical father-figure she never had. While Ron had his own father and Harry – to some extent – had Sirius, Hermione had never been able to find common ground with anyone other than Snape. He matched her intelligence and gave her stern advice when needed. He even acted like a proud parent at times. A _distant_ parent, but a proud one nonetheless.

However, if Hermione thought she was uncomfortable with McGonagall's knowledge of her relationship with Remus, it was _nothing_ compared to how uncomfortable she felt with Snape's discovery of her tryst with Sirius.

"How much do you know already?" she asked warily when she found her voice.

"More than I ever wanted to," he replied honestly. "Really, though, Hermione, I thought you had a _little_ more taste than that."

She glowered.

"It was once and it was a mistake on many levels," she said firmly, feeling the need to justify her actions. Then she faltered, adding: "How often do you catch him thinking about me?"

He shrugged, an action that seemed awkwardly uncharacteristic of the usually-stoic man.

"A bit more often to be appropriate as your professor but not so often that I think he's harboring any strong, lingering feelings that he cannot control."

She let out a sigh of relief. That wasn't anything Sirius hadn't admitted to already.

"Still," Snape added. "I'd scarcely trust him alone with you."

Hermione rolled her eyes.

"You wouldn't trust him alone with a hippogriff," she retorted.

He smirked.

"Maybe an ill-tempered one."

She chuckled slightly.

"Well, _I_ trust him. And eventually you should come to terms with…"

She stopped mid-sentence, inhaling deeply as a sharp pain hit her side. She doubled over, grasping her ribs as her eyes started to water.

Snape rushed to her immediately.

"Hermione?" he asked worriedly. "Are you alright?"

Taking deep breaths, she felt the pain start to dull, leaving a slight ache in its place. Taking her hand away from her side, she felt something hot and sticky.

Blood.

"What happened?" Snape demanded. "What did you do to yourself?"

"Nothing!" she said as indignantly as she could in her surprise and pain. "I've been here with you the whole time."

"Let me see," he said. Instinctively she stepped away from him and his eyes narrowed. "I'm not going to _do_ anything to you, Miss Granger."

Gingerly she lifted her shirt. A long, thin slice just under her ribcage was bleeding, not deep but still gruesome.

Snape frowned.

"This is a fresh wound," he said. "From the looks of it, it's from a knife."

His eyes made a careful sweep of the classroom but he saw nothing that could have caused the cut.

"We need to get you to the hospital wing," he said. "I lack the proper tools down here…" He trailed off as they both watched in shocked silence as the wound healed itself, though blood still stained her pale skin.

Hermione felt pain sear through her chest and she grasped it, feeling suddenly constricted as her airway began to close.

"Hermione? Hermione, you need to tell me what you're experiencing," Snape said urgently.

"Can't…breathe…" she gasped.

All of a sudden, her airway cleared and she fell to the ground, clutching her chest.

"Pain…" she rasped. "In my chest…it hurts…"

Helping her up, Snape looked her over.

"Do you think you can make it to the fireplace?" he asked.

She nodded wordlessly and he supported her as they scrambled to the fireplace. Throwing a handful of powder into the fire, they stepped into the green flames and Snape said: "Hospital wing!"

They tumbled out into the empty ward and Snape helped her straighten up as Madame Pomfrey rushed over to them.

"Dear Merlin, what happened?" she asked, obviously alarmed by all the blood.

"I…I don't _know_," Snape said with a panic in his voice Hermione had never heard before. "We were working together this evening and all of a sudden…this!"

He seemed thoroughly distressed by his own ignorance and his ebony eyes looked wide and frightened as Madame Pomfrey led Hermione to one of the hospital beds.

As Snape slowly explained exactly what had happened in the classroom, Hermione took slow, shivering breaths. Every internal organ ached painfully, as if some slow poison was destroying her from the inside. She thought back to dinner, trying to remember if she had left her pumpkin juice unattended. She hadn't.

As her academic side wondered whether it could have been something from lunch, she gave another yelp of pain as she felt something sharp slip up her back. Both Snape and Madame Pomfrey rushed over as she arched her back, the pain shooting down her spine.

"Great Merlin," the nurse said, quickly using her want to tear open the back of Hermione's shirt. Hermione could feel her blood dripping down her back but from the astonished looks on the two adult's faces it seemed the wound healed itself again.

The ache in her chest intensified.

"Severus," Madame Pomfrey said. "Go get Albus. This is beyond my…"

Hermione screamed.

Pain the likes of which she had never felt wracked her body. Her muscles seized as her screams echoed off the stone walls. She was writhing against her will, her body twisting in odd angles as the pain continued. She was overcome with nausea but her stomach could not or would not expel its contents and it churned madly, the acids rushing up her throat only to be forcibly pushed back down.

It was excruciating and she was overcome with the intense wish to die - to just give up and give in. But an image passed her eyes that somehow spurred her will to live, though she didn't understand it.

It was an image of her.

And as suddenly as it came, the pain was gone.

She fell back limply against the bed, sweating as her muscles twitched. She tried to catch her breath as her vision blurred with unshed tears. She heard Madame Pomfrey's muffled voice but she couldn't make out the words over the ringing in the ears that had been caused by her own shrill cries.

"Miss Granger? Miss Granger, can you hear me?"

Hermione managed a weak nod as she turned her head slightly to look at the worried witch. There was a fear in the woman's eyes that belied the soothing tone of her voice.

"Breathe, dear," she commanded gently. "Breathe and tell me what happened."

Hermione's voice was hoarse and she couldn't find the right words to explain just how utterly unbearable the pain had been. There was only one thing that could have matched it.

"Cruciatus Curse," she choked, the raspiness of her voice causing her throat to ache. Another wave of nausea hit and this time, she was sick all over the floor.

Madame Pomfrey paled.

"The Cruciatus Curse? But how…"

The pain returned ten-fold but Hermione no longer had the will or the energy to scream. She writhed in silent agony and after several seconds of trying to withstand it, she let everything fade to merciful unconsciousness.


	25. Chapter 25: Amore Animagi

**A/N:** So I wanted to see what the feedback was from the last chapter and I breathed a sigh of relief that it was good. I know there was some grumbling about how the Hogsmeade trip with Sirius wasn't going to happen but in my head it was never going to happen anyway. But don't worry...some great Hermione/Sirius plot points are coming up, don't you worry!

AS ALWAYS, READ AND REVIEW, PLEASE!

**Chapter Twenty-Five: Amore Animagi**

When Hermione woke up again, she found herself lying in one of the hospital beds. She was in a hospital gown and screens were up all around her bed. Her body ached but she no longer felt the twisting burn of her internal organs. She tried to move but a wave of pain hit her and she collapsed in exhaustion against her pillow.

She heard frantic voices from beyond the screens.

"The Cruciatus Curse? But that's impossible!"

"And how could those cuts heal themselves?"

"You were supposed to protect her, Snivellus!"

"If I had known what to protect her _from_, Black…"

"Where is she?"

"She needs her rest, Mr. Potter…"

"You bloody well can't stop us from seeing her, you mad cow."

"Ronald Weasley!"

"Harry…" Hermione groaned as loudly as she could. "Ron…"

Hurried footsteps approached her and the screens were ripped back to reveal Harry, Ron, Sirius, Snape, Madame Pomfrey, and Mrs. Weasley all standing worriedly over her. Snape broke passed them all and hurried to her side, grasping her hand.

"Hermione, what happened?" he asked quietly.

"I…"

"Get away from her, you greasy bat!"

"Black, if you would stop acting like a petulant child for a moment…"

"Gentlemen!" Madame Pomfrey interrupted sternly. "She needs her rest."

"Yes, but…"

"Severus," Hermione said hoarsely. "What's happening to me?"

"We don't know, love," Sirius said before Snape could answer, moving quickly to her other side. "We were hoping you could tell us."

"I…I don't know…"

"Sirius," Mrs. Weasley said softly. "Severus, please. You heard Poppy. She needs to sleep."

"No, Mrs. Weasley, I'm OK," Hermione said, trying once again to sit up and flinching as her muscles screamed in protest. Harry hurried forward, unceremoniously pushing Snape out of the way and ignoring Madame Pomfrey's admonishments as he gently helped her to sit up. He sat next to her, wrapping his strong arms around her protectively, carefully readjusting as he saw her cringe.

"Everyone's at a loss, 'Mione," he said as Sirius begrudgingly moved aside for Ron to join his two best friends on the bed. "No one knows how it all happened."

"Yeah," Ron added. "Snape's only just told us…"

"_Professor_ Snape," both Hermione and Mrs. Weasley said, and Hermione couldn't help but smile at the mutinous look Ron sent his mother.

"I don't know what's going one either," Hermione admitted before telling them of the odd feeling she got when her own image passed through her mind as she felt overwhelmed by the torturous pain.

Sirius's brow furrowed.

"I don't understand. You thought of…youself?"

"I don't think it was me," she said. "I mean, I was feeling the pain but…"

She was interrupted by the large wooden doors opening and Dumbledore strode in, closely followed by Professor McGonagall. The group parted quickly as he reached Hermione's bed.

"My dear girl," he said kindly, though his eyes showed his deep concern. "How are you feeling?"

"Achy," she said. "And a bit hoarse. But otherwise fine."

"You're very brave for this," he said admiringly. "And I must impose upon your obvious fatigue to once more explain everything that has happened to you this evening."

"Professor Dumbledore," Madame Pomfrey said pleadingly. Hermione could tell the woman was becoming increasingly-impatient with how often the rules of her infirmary had been disregarded over the past seven years, especially where Harry and his friends were concerned.

"Poppy, I can't begin to apologize at our constant intrusion upon your good intentions, but you must understand that this is of the utmost importance," Dumbledore said, apologetic yet firm.

The woman sighed in reluctant acceptance, walking back to her office, and Dumbledore turned back to Hermione.

"Now, Miss Granger," he said soothingly. "Please tell me everything, starting with your lesson with Professor Snape."

Slowly and with as much detail as she could muster, Hermione explained every sensation and how she had initially thought she had been poisoned due to the pain within her body. She retold of how her image had appeared in her mind, spurring her into a renewed energy against the pain.

Dumbledore sat in silent contemplation as she spoke, listening intently and nodding occasionally. When she had finished he sat for a moment before looking at her pensively.

"Miss Granger, am I right to assume that Remus was unable to mark you before he left?"

Hermione was caught off-guard by the question.

"I…er…yes, you're right. He didn't."

Dumbledore nodded.

"And Professor McGonagall told me that you managed to complete your animagus lessons this week, am I correct?"

"Yes."

"And you are a wolf?"

She flushed slightly.

"Yes."

He nodded again.

"Well, it is as I expected. It's very rare and I've _never_ heard of it happening when only one of the soul mates is a full animagus, but I believe what we are witnessing is love at its most mysterious. I believe you and Remus are bonded through what we call _amore animagi_."

Professor McGonagall frowned.

"But Albus, that's next to impossible," she said. "Amore animagi connects the soul's animagi energy. Remus isn't an animagi. In fact, due to his condition, I don't think he is even _capable_ of learning…"

"I know, Minerva," Dumbledore interrupted. "But we all know that both Remus and Hermione are exceptionally brilliant and powerful magical beings, and I have no doubt that if Remus was not infected with his lycanthropy and had, like his friends, learned to become an animagus, he would undoubtedly be a wolf anyway."

"I'm confused," Ron said. "What's amore animagi?"

"It's a very old magic, almost going back to Morgan le Fay. It's a bond that develops between the souls of two people who share a common animagus. Those who are lucky enough to find their soul mates can be connected through this bond and can share emotions, feel each other's pain, and connect to each other," Dumbledore explained. "As I said, it is a mysterious bond but nothing is more mysterious than the ways of the heart."

"But," Sirius said, frowning. "Remus hates his lycanthropy. And in order to fully accept the animagi energy, one needs to accept the animal itself."

Snape cleared his throat.

"I think I can explain that, but it would mean revealing some indiscreet information of Miss Granger's relationship with Lupin."

Hermione's brow furrowed.

"What information?"

He sighed.

"When you became…intimate…with Lupin, did he reveal his canine side?"

Sirius's nostrils flared.

"That's none of your business, you dirty old…"

"Sirius!" Hermione snapped and the glowering man said nothing as he silently seethed.

She turned back to Snape.

"Yes. He did," she answered.

"And did you…er…enjoy it?"

Sirius growled angrily but Hermione put her hand on his chest to stop him from lunging at her increasingly uncomfortable-looking professor.

"I accepted Remus _and_ Mooney and I told him so. And when I encountered Mooney…intimately…I accepted and loved him equally then, too."

Snape nodded.

"I believe at that moment, Lupin unconsciously became more comfortable with his condition. As his mate loved and accepted him, he started to love and accept himself through her. I also believe that – due to what his mission entails – he is letting his wolf side out more to protect himself and his partners. That is the only explanation, and pardon me for saying so, Miss Granger but it is the _only_ explanation for their prolonged safety. But tonight was the night after the full moon and Lupin his both weak and vulnerable."

"So…" Hermione said, a new fear starting to grip her. "What I felt…that was Remus?"

"I believe so. I started to suspect it when Kingsley failed to check in with me tonight," Dumbledore said softly. "I do not believe, however, that Remus is aware of this connection as yet, otherwise he would have found a way to let you know where he was."

"Oh my God," Mrs. Weasley gasped and Hermione could see her pale as she thought of her two eldest sons.

Suddenly, as if fate had heard the Weasley matriarch's silent pleas, the doors of the infirmary burst open and a blood-soaked Bill Weasley stumbled in, carrying an equally bloody and unconscious Charlie on his back. With a speed uncommon for his age, Dumbledore was at Bill's side, levitating Charlie from Bill's sagging shoulders and placing him on the bed as McGonagall ran to get Madame Pomfrey. Bill collapsed in the closest chair, his skin pale as more recent scars marred his handsome face.

Dumbledore shook his shoulder urgently.

"Bill," he commanded and the young man looked up, still slightly dazed. "Bill, where are Kingsley and Remus?"

Bill shook his head.

"I don't know. We were ambushed. Bellatrix and Dolohov and their army of vampires…we were no match. We split up and…and Charlie got bit and…I just…I didn't know what else to do…I apparated to Hogsmeade."

Hermione's eyes widened. It took an exceptionally powerful wizard to adequately apparate _himself_ over such a great distance. The fact that Bill was able to apparate with Charlie was nothing short of amazing.

"They must have been captured," Snape said to Dumbledore, who was pacing now. "I should go and see what I can learn."

Dumbledore nodded silently and with a quick look to Hermione, Snape exited.

McGonagall reentered with Madame Pomfrey and they went over to Charlie's unconscious figure. They all held their breath as Madame Pomfrey did a quick sweep with her wand before turning to Bill.

"He's lost a lot of blood. He's going to need a transfusion," she said.

Bill shook his head.

"I have werewolf blood in me. I don't think I could risk mixing it if he's now part-vampire."

"I'll do it," Ron said without hesitation, and Hermione felt her heart warm for her friend as he went to sit by his brother.

"Bill," Dumbledore finally said, bringing their attention back. "Did the four of you ever find out where Bellatrix and Dolohov were hiding?"

Bill shook his head again, accepting a glass of firewhiskey from Madame Pomfrey to settle his nerves.

"Kingsley had some limited information he had collected from the Ministry before he left but he and Lupin were the only two who knew anything about our location. I mean…obviously Charlie knew because he lived there but in terms of where they were in relation of us…Kingsley kept that pretty private. I think he was trying to keep our minds on what we were there for primarily, which was to help Charlie calm the dragons."

Dumbledore nodded and continued his pacing. Mrs. Weasley, content that Sirius and Harry were giving Hermione adequate attention, had gone over to her second-eldest son. She pushed his long hair out of his face and held his hand as Madame Pomfrey set Ron up with a transfusion.

"You said Kingsley collected information from the Ministry…were there papers or anything that suggested he had any idea as to where they might have taken them?"

Bill scrunched up his face in thought.

"All I remember was walking into the tent one night and seeing them pouring over maps. The maps had runes on them and a couple of places were circled, but they stuffed everything back into an envelope before I could see."

Hermione looked up sharply.

"An envelope?" she asked and everyone turned to look at her. They had all been so distracted by Bill and Charlie's sudden appearance that they seemed to have forgotten her. Bill seemed surprised that she was there at all and he had missed her.

"Yes," Bill said. "A large white one."

"Is that important?" Harry asked her.

"Kingsley gave me an envelope before he left," she said softly. "I think it's time I opened it."


	26. Chapter 26: Closure

**A/N:** Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for all of your great comments and reviews of the past two chapters. I am working a little out of my comfort zone right now (if you haven't noticed, I work better with comedy and romance than action and angst) so I appreciate the feedback.

One note: a couple of people have expressed slight confusion as to how Sirius is still in the story. I was sort of hoping the suspend the belief that he fell through the Veil but quite honestly, if _I_ was reading my story I would have been slightly confused as well. So hopefully, this chapter clears some of that up.

AS ALWAYS, READ AND REVIEW!

**Chapter Twenty-Six: Closure**

The Hogwarts grounds were quiet as Hermione walked them, bundled warmly against the fading winter cold. She clung to Sirius's arm, favoring her right leg as she limped along in a leisurely silence. She had taken to walking the grounds over the past few days, as Dumbledore had thought – and rightly so – that it would be best she stay out of her classes for fear of alarming the students if she had another attack. So she walked the grounds, usually with either Harry, Ron, or Ginny, sometimes Sirius and occasionally Snape if the two professors didn't have classes, though Snape seemed to have a keen aversion to sunlight so her walks with him tended to be in the evenings.

The past few days had been excruciating, both physically and emotionally. Just when she felt like she was recovering, stabs of pain and the occasional mysterious slice of an unseen knife would bring her back to a shaking, sobbing mess. Nights were almost as bad, plagued by nightmares of her own brutal demise and waking to her own screams of terror. Dreamless sleep potion didn't help, despite Snape's tireless efforts to make it stronger and more potent. Those dreams, clearly Remus's, continued to haunt her as she became more and more frightened for her boyfriend's well-being.

And then, there was the envelope.

A quick look had told her that Kingsley was a lot smarter than anyone had ever given him credit for. Though he could not have known about the amore animagi, he did have a sneaking suspicion that Hermione would be the first to alert them all to any dangerous situation the mission might have faced. Hermione supposed that she should have given his intellect a little more credit. After all, there had to have been a reason why Remus, Bill, and Dumbledore had so much faith in the powerful Auror.

The envelope had contained maps, which Bill had confirmed as the ones Remus and Kingsley had been pouring over the one time he had caught a glimpse of them. A letter addressed to the young witch revealed that Kingsley had charmed the maps to edit themselves with the notes he and Remus had made on their set, thus giving her up-to-date information. The notes he made were in runes, as Kingsley undoubtedly knew – either from Remus or from McGonagall – that Hermione would be able to translate them with ease. And from the notes on the sides and the hurriedly-circled locations, Hermione surmised that they had narrowed their search of the Death Eaters' hideout to three different locations.

'_Please forgive me for putting our failed burden on your shoulders,'_ Kingsley had said. _'Know that Lupin has undoubtedly already given me quite a tongue-lashing for doing so.'_

She had smiled as she imagined Remus's angry, protective reaction to Kingsley's decision.

Though everyone had their misgivings about the idea – with Mrs. Weasley leading the pack with the predictable cry of _'She's just a child!'_ – Dumbledore had decided that Hermione should accompany Bill, Tonks, and Sirius back to Romania to mount a rescue mission. Though they all worried that Hermione's connection to Remus would do more harm to the rescue team than good, Dumbledore also had faith in Hermione's intellect and stamina, letting them know that she would be a valuable asset to their work as she was both connected to their quarry as well as able to move in stealth through her new animagus.

Thus, the walks on the grounds. Hermione knew Dumbledore wanted her to build her strength against the chronic pain so she would have enough energy to transform at will.

"Are you nervous about this?" Sirius asked her as they rounded their second lap of the lake, watching the Giant Squid shiver in the glacial waters.

Hermione shrugged.

"As much as can be expected. Are you?" she replied.

"A bit, I suppose," he replied, though she knew his anxiety stemmed from a far deeper place. She had seen it every time he witnessed her pain. It was a fear that he, Sirius Black, was in danger of losing his last best friend and he was forced to watch the torture of both said friend _and_ the object of his affection in a state of complete helplessness.

"You know," he said as they paused for Hermione to catch her breath. "Getting ready for something like this really makes you think about your decisions in the past."

Hermione chuckled.

"Not getting reflective on me, are we Sirius?"

He shook his head.

"With something this dangerous...it just makes me think of all those reckless decisions I've made in my life that have caused others to make sacrifices for _me_." He looked down at her meaningfully. "I don't think I ever thanked you for that," he said softly.

She looked at him curiously.

"Thanked me for what?"

"For saving my life."

It was the one thing they had never discussed before because it meant reliving a night that neither of them wanted to remember. The Battle of the Department of Mysteries had incurred losses that went beyond Sturgis Podmore and Emmeline Vance's lifeless faces. It marked a loss of innocence as Hermione used – for the first and so far only time in her life – magic that was strong enough to kill.

Her intended target, the blood-lusting Bellatrix Lastrange, had maliciously sent the Cruciatus Curse at Harry, barely missing him as Sirius pulled him to the ground. Enraged that her best friend had almost gotten hit by an Unforgivable curse, Hermione had sent a full-force body freeze curse – which froze all internal bodily function of the victim – at Bellatrix, which she gleefully dodged. The curse hit fellow Death Eater Avery, killing him instantaneously. As Bellatrix moved to retaliate by attacking Sirius, Hermione had pushed him and Harry out of the way, taking the full force of her angry stunning spell and knocking her unconscious.

Lupin had told her later that it was her seemingly-lifeless form that pushed Harry to follow the cackling witch to the Atrium, leading to his second confrontation with Lord Voldemort.

"You know you don't have to thank me," Hermione said quietly, once again mourning their losses of that night and thinking nostalgically back to when she wasn't such a hardened, jaded young warrior.

"I know. But it's necessary. I suppose I was just frightened of what I was thanking you for. No child of fifteen should have to carry the burden of taking someone's life."

"It took me awhile to come to terms with it," she admitted. "Despite Dumbledore's affirmation that it was for the greater good."

Sirius smiled wryly.

"He does like to use that one. I've often thought that he should come up with something a little more definitive."

She smiled.

"It keeps us motivated, at least."

They gazed out into the lake in silence for a few more minutes before she turned to him.

"I never got a chance to thank you either," she said.

"What for, love?"

"For that night…back in November." She saw him tense slightly, but she pressed on. "I know that the aftermath was hardly what we wanted, but it served an important purpose."

He nodded, his jaw set as if firmly resolved to show no emotion.

"I'm happy for the two of you," he said and she knew he was trying desperately to mean it.

"I suppose Remus and my relationship is _part_ of what I mean," she said. "I know Remus wouldn't have been given into his emotions about me if you and I hadn't slept together, but…"

She looked at him, knowing he was avoiding her gaze. She slowly brought her hand up to his face and gently cupped his cheek. He closed his eyes, leaning into her touch. She turned him to face her but he kept his eyes closed.

"Please look at me, Sirius," she said softly. She tried not to let the guilt overwhelm her as she gazed into his fathomless silver-blue orbs.

"You are a phenomenal man," she whispered. "I would not take away one minute of that night. Not because of what it did for Remus and I, or even what it did for me physically. But because you were truly the last lover I had before Remus and it wasn't cheap, or sordid, but beautiful. And I appreciate that. You are truly unforgettable, Sirius Black, and while I'm not _in_ love with you, I do _love_ you. You helped me close a chapter of my life and one day you will find a witch who is truly deserving of your passion."

He let a single tear fall down his chiseled cheek.

"I will always care about you, Hermione," he whispered. "Nothing is going to change that."

"I know, Sirius," she replied. "But now we need to finish this little…dance, I suppose. The lingering looks, the pretending you're fine with this while secretly pining…it needs to stop. And we won't have the time to discuss it once we're on out way to Romania."

He sighed before nodding slowly, understanding her words.

"It's going to be very hard," he said.

"I know. But I have faith in you."

He smiled slightly before looking into her eyes.

"Can I…" He paused, slightly hesitant, but continued. "May I have one last kiss?"

She could see the pleading in his eyes and for a second she thought it might be a bad idea. But from the sadness that had settled into those puppy-dog baby blues, she knew that he knew it was the end. She had needed to talk in order to get closure. He needed this.

"Yes you may."

The way he kissed her was how she imagined every Muggle movie kiss to be. It was sweet and lingering, full of unexpressed passion and longing. But it was a good-bye kiss, closing the book on their affair; the quintessential 'sealed with a kiss' agreement.

When she pulled away she let him hold her, drawing comfort in the knowledge that they were now, and would forever be, just friends.

"Hermione?" a confused, slightly hurt voice said and she turned to see Harry. He seemed to have stopped mid-step upon seeing them and she didn't miss the conflicted look in his emerald-green eyes.

"I'll let you talk to him, love," Sirius said softly, kissing her temple before pulling away and walking back towards the castle. He patted his godson's shoulder as he passed, smiling kindly and flicking his eyes to Hermione to explain that there was a good reason why they had shared that intimate embrace.

"Er…Dumbledore wants to see both of you in his office," Harry said awkwardly, not entirely able to make eye-contact with the older man.

Sirius nodded.

"Right. I'll head up, and let him know you're on your way."

"Thanks, Sirius," Hermione said.

Harry watched Sirius walk up the hill before turning to Hermione with barely-concealed frustration.

"Explain," he said simply.

She sighed.

"It's nothing, Harry, truly. Sirius and I needed closure and that's what you witnessed."

"Now?! You're feeling the effects of what's happening to Lupin, feeling his agony and dreaming his dreams, and you choose _now_ to pursue 'closure' with Sirius?"

Hermione bristled slightly.

"I know about the pain, Harry. _I'm_ the one that has to go through it, remember? And I don't think it's fair to diminish my own personal torture about Remus just because I want to make sure Sirius and I are officially finished with whatever emotions were between us."

"What in Merlin's name is wrong with waiting until you get back?"

"Harry," she said, calm but firm. "You know better than to assume that we _will_ come back."

He paled.

"Don't say that," he said quietly.

"We're in a war, Harry. Anything can happen, and Sirius and I needed to clear things up before we left. I could never forgive myself if he does something reckless because of how he feels about me."

"He cares about you, 'Mione," Harry said pointedly. "He'll do something reckless anyway, if it comes down to it."

"Perhaps," she said, taking her friend's proffered arm gratefully. "But now I've given him no room for negotiation. He knows that there can be no interference with soul mates."

Harry simply nodded and they walked in silence back to the castle. The mid-February chill had caught up with Hermione, being that she had been outside longer than she was used to, and Harry pulled her close as they neared the large oak doors of the Entrance Hall.

"You're not mad, are you?" she finally asked, breaking their silence. "That you're not coming with us, I mean?"

She had been hesitant to voice the thing she had worried about since Dumbledore had announced her participation in the rescue mission. She knew Harry felt responsible for everything that the Order was doing, and she was sure he was frustrated at Dumbledore's insistence that he stay in Hogwarts while one of his best friend put her life in danger.

Harry shrugged.

"I was. I was livid, actually. But then I realized that my reaction is just what Voldemort wants. He _wants_ me to get mad and do something impetuous and stupid. He _wants_ me to go in, guns blazing, and play the plucky hero. He wants a replay of the Department of Mysteries, I think. I won't do it again, though. I can't put people's lives in danger because I cannot control my temper."

Hermione couldn't help but smile slightly.

"Dumbledore talked you out of it, huh?"

He gave her an indignant look, partially due to her flippant remark on his recent self-evaluation and partially due to the fact that she was almost entirely correct.

"You couldn't give me a moment of tragic heroism, could you?" he asked.

She shook her head.

"Martyrdom doesn't look good on you, darling," she replied.

He grinned.

"Well, at least I know I have you to keep my ego safely shattered."

She laughed.

"Trust me, Harry James Potter, you are the last person on the face of the earth who needs a reality check when it comes to your ego. It's not often you're dubbed 'The Chosen One' and yet you're still able to remain completely grounded."

He seemed to swell slightly with pride, so she added:

"It's impressive, really, considering your short temper, your bouts of insecurity, and your general hesitation to let others make their own decisions."

He rolled his eyes.

"Always have to have the last word," he mumbled.

They reached the stone gargoyle and Harry said "Fizzing Whizzbees!" The revolving staircase appeared and as Hermione moved to step onto it, Harry stepped back.

"You're not coming?" she asked, confused.

He shook his head.

"I think it's just the four of you. Take care, 'Mione."

"I'll see you in the common room later," she said absently. She didn't catch the sad smile or the soft wave good-bye as she disappeared from view.

Walking to the door of Dumbledore's office, Hermione had barely lifted her hand to knock when the it opened. Consistently amazed by her headmaster's apparent clairvoyance, Hermione stepped into the room and found herself looking into four pairs of solemn eyes.

"It's time," Dumbledore said, his light blue eyes devoid of their normal twinkle.

Hermione frowned.

"But my things…"

"I've got them," Tonks said, holding up Hermione's rucksack.

"But the boys…"

"Harry already knows."

"But…"

"Hermione," Bill said softly, and she knew her arguments were futile.

"Alright," she said softly. "Let's go."


	27. Chapter 27: Fear

**A/N:** Oh boy...it's been awhile, hasn't it? Well, at least I updated within a month, right? My apologies for the delay. Many thanks to **mangosteen** and **LiterarySpell** for pushing me to get my butt in gear and churn out another chapter. And thanks again to everyone else who has been so wonderful and has reviewed this and my other stories on a regular basis. My deepest appreciation to all of you!

So, that said, READ and REVIEW please!!

**Chapter Twenty-Seven: Fear**

Remus awoke with a jolt from the nightmare that had been clouding his head. The blood pounded in his body as he willed consciousness over himself, despite the pain and ache consciousness brought with it. But anything was better than the nightmares.

They were always the same. Hermione, bruised and bloodied from some unknown or unseen assailant, looked at him with abject fear in her bright brown eyes as an evil green light or a stroke of a knife snuffed the life out of her in front of him. And he, bound and gagged, was powerless to protect her.

That night's had been one of several horrifying scenarios his subconscious played for him every time he tried to sleep. He knew it was one of the tortures Bellatrix delighted in, forcing the potent Abject Fear potion down his protesting throat every night. He would always awake shaking, his mind a continued turmoil of fear and guilt.

As he instinctively stretched, his body screamed rebellion and he collapsed painfully against the dirty cot that sat in the tiny cell. His muscles twitched involuntarily from the continued use of the Cruciatus Curse. New, pencil-thin scars stitched his body, his skin pale from the use of the venomous weapon. A knife, the blade of pure silver, was another of the crazed woman's torments. One slice a day, the wound held open just long enough – he calculated ten seconds – for the blade to transfer its metal poison to his bloodstream before they healed it.

It had been a week. Seven days of enduring his body's agony as his inner organs tried consistently to expel the evil. Seven scars caked with dried blood and crusted with scabs. Seventy seconds of silver poisoning that would slowly and painfully kill him from the inside out if he had to endure much more of it.

Remus was unsure how much more his body could handle. There had been moments when he had wanted to give up; to stop struggling and let the relief of death overcome him. But each time Hermione's face would flash before him and he knew he couldn't give up. He had something, or rather, _someone_ to live for now.

Gathering his strength once more, he sat up, slowly this time, and swung his long legs over the edge of the bed. Looking around, he assessed his surroundings for the millionth time, hoping desperately that there was something, some weakness in his enemies' plan, that he had overlooked before. The cell was underground, that much he knew. There were no windows and the reinforced steel door at the corner was impenetrable without his wand. From the sounds of muffled screams, his cell was one of several in what he perceived to be a dungeon. He knew somewhere in the screams were those of his companions, though he wasn't sure which. He hoped that at least _one_ of them had made it out of the ambush alive and had gone to warn the Order.

He didn't dare hope for a rescue mission, though on some days he prayed for Dumbledore's intervention.

The sound of the door unlocking brought his attention back to the situation and his body tensed at the terrifying anxiety of his next wave of torture. He was slightly surprised when Dolohov stepped into the room, followed by five pale men that Remus assumed to be loyal vampiric disciples of Lord Voldemort. He growled at their presence and despite their superior numbers, the men shrank back.

Dolohov chuckled.

"You do seem to have a way with your inferiors, don't you?" he said, ignoring the indignant looks the vampires gave him. Then he smirked. "Well, Lupin, it's been a week and the Dark Lord grows impatient. Though he was pleased when we captured you, he now finds you nothing more than a nuisance. You should know he had the utmost respect for you, despite being a filthy half-breed."

Remus's nostrils flared as he looked at the man defiantly. He had seen Dolohov only once before, as the man clearly thought Bellatrix far more capable an interrogator. The man himself, however, was no slouch in the art of torment and Remus groaned as a wave of Dolohov's wand sent a sharp pain though his body.

"You _are_ a stubborn beast, aren't you?" Dolohov remarked, waving his wand casually and the pain disappeared. "You are far more resilient than your friend. He cried out for mercy within seconds of my curse. Didn't even put up much of a fight."

Remus willed his anger back as he rejoiced silently at the use of the singular noun. Only two of them had been captured. There was still hope…

"Cried like a babe," Dolohov was saying. "Couldn't part with his information fast enough."

"If that were true," Remus growled. "Then you wouldn't still need me."

"Oh? And who says we do?"

Remus tried to hide the fear he felt at those words but the clever dark wizard caught it.

"What's this? Is the great werewolf afraid of his own inevitable demise?"

Remus said nothing but continued to glare. Dolohov chuckled again.

"My master does not wish for your death so soon, Lupin. Not until he has done away with Potter. He wants you to watch as he kills the so-called Chosen One."

Dolohov paused, gauging Remus's reaction, before arching an eyebrow.

"What's this? No fear? No remorse for the upcoming death of your best friend's son? Does Potter suddenly mean so little to you?"

"Harry will defeat Voldemort because he holds a power your master will never possess."

"Ah. Yes. _Love_," the Death Eater sneered. "Many have died under its name. But who do _you_ love, Lupin? What member of your beloved Order would inspire the type of fear to unhinge even your tainted soul? Could it be the blood traitor Black?"

Again Dolohov paused and again, Remus remained unmoved.

"No," Dolohov drawled, twirling his wand absently. "No, you have far too much faith in the mutt's abilities to fear for his death. Perhaps it's the meddlesome old fool's death that you fear? Would Dumbledore's lifeless face twist your mind, Lupin?"

"Dumbledore could kill you before you had a chance to draw your wand," Remus spat.

"Perhaps. Better than me have fallen by his hand." Then he grinned maliciously. "But you cannot fear his death. The old man doesn't have many years left. You almost _expect_ his death, if not by the Dark Lord's hand than by the natural progression of time."

"You have no power over my mind, Antonin," Remus said. "Your threats do not faze me."

"No? Perhaps not. And yet I wonder…"

He paused, a sadistic smile still on his face.

"A team of your beloved Order members has left England in search of you and your comrade. They are led by that other half-breed, Weasley. I believe your friend Black is also among them, with his half-blood cousin. But with them is another. Another entirely unexpected. And yet…"

Remus felt panic grip his heart. She couldn't. Dumbledore wouldn't have sent her.

"Ah," Dolohov said in soft triumph. "So it's the little Mudblood whose death your fear."

"You lie!" Remus shouted. "She cannot be with them!"

"Oh no?" Dolohov smirked. "I can assure you, she is."

Fear, the likes of which he had not felt since the moment he had heard about James and Lily, tightened his chest and he had to will his legs to stop their trembling. What had possessed Dumbledore to involve her? He prayed it wasn't true, that it was someone else, someone who looked like her or had a similar name. They were all pathetic hopes that he knew were unfounded but he grasped them regardless. Not Hermione. _Anyone_ but her.

"I've met your little whore," Dolohov continued. "Pretty young thing. Filled with an almost…childlike…idealism. It's a shame she let an animal like you sully her. Still…if she has opened her legs to a monster like you then perhaps she will be more than eager for the touch of a man like me…"

"You will not touch her!" Remus roared, forgetting himself as he charged at the sneering older wizard. He was stopped in his tracks by the searing pain that issued from Dolohov's outstretched wand.

"Temper temper, Lupin," Dolohov admonished in malevolent playfulness, letting the curse up and watching Remus collapse on the ground. "You need to learn when to control yourself."

"You call _me_ a monster," Remus rasped, struggling to his knees. "When you relish the idea of raping a seventeen-year-old girl."

"Rape? I assure you she would love every minute of it."

Remus's blood boiled but he knew that a continued assault would be fruitless. So he just glared.

"She would never submit to you," he said.

Dolohov laughed.

"Perhaps not. I am told she's quite headstrong. An unfortunate trait for a Mudblood. But I will not touch her. I will have no need to when _you_ will do the job for me."

"I would _never_ hurt her."

"My dear Lupin, you seem under the misapprehension that you will have a choice," the Death Eater said. "And I for one _will_ relish the idea of the light dimming from those innocent brown eyes as you take her like the savage, uncontrollable beast you are."

And with a final smirk, Dolohov turned and left.

***

Hermione followed Sirius out of the fireplace, coughing lightly as they brushed off the mountains of ash that had accumulated over their long journey. Looking around, Hermione had barely readjusted her cloak when she felt someone fall against her and Sirius grabbed her just before she and Tonks hit the ground.

"Sorry 'Mione," Tonks said as they straightened up. "The journey's made me a bit dizzy."

"Pull yourself together, girl! There can be no mistakes on this mission," a gruff voice said and Hermione turned to see Moody hobbling over to them hurriedly.

"Moody," Hermione said with a smile.

He didn't smile back as he trained his wand on the four of them.

"Prove yourselves," he growled. "You…what is your patronus?" he asked Bill.

"A stallion," the redhead answered.

"And you," Moody turned to Tonks. "What was the first piece of advice I ever gave you?"

"Never stow your wand in your back pocket for risk of losing a buttocks," she chimed cheekily. Clearly, however, it was the wrong answer because the man growled and took a menacing step forward.

"Alright, alright!" Tonks cried. "You said constant vigilance in the face of grave danger is the only hope of survival."

He looked at her for an extra moment before looking at Hermione.

"What is the second to last ingredient of the Wolfsbane potion?" he asked her.

"Powdered cherry root," she replied quickly, not liking the feeling of being on the wrong end of Moody's wand.

"And you," Moody turned to Sirius. "What did I say to you when you completed Auror training and who were you standing with at the time?"

"That's not fair! How come I got two questions?" Sirius asked indignantly. When Moody raised his wand, Sirius rolled his eyes. "Oh for Merlin's sake. You told us that complete trust exists only with the dead and I was standing with James Potter at the time so congratulations, you're a bloody clairvoyant, alright?"

Seeming contented, Moody stowed his wand only to have Tonks' and Bill's wands in his face.

"And you?" Bill asked. "Name all of my siblings, in order, and tell me what they are currently doing."

A sliver of a proud smile crossed Moody's face.

"You, William Weasley, are the first of seven, and you are currently pointing your wand at me. The next is Charles Weasley, who is recovering from several vampire bites in the infirmary of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Percy, who still works in the Ministry, is probably on his way back to his London flat. Fred and George are closing up their joke shop in Diagon Alley. Ronald Weasley, your youngest brother, is most likely pacing in the Gryffindor common room with Harry Potter and your sister, Ginevra Weasley, anxious about their friend's safety as she continues on her mission," he said with far more insight than Bill had asked for. Both Tonks and Bill lowered their wands and Moody nodded, motioning them to follow him.

As she walked, Hermione looked around for the first time. They had arrived in a large ballroom, though by the looks of the moth-eaten tapestries, it had seen better days. From the chill that crept around them, Hermione surmised that they were somewhere in northeastern Europe and her mind immediately remembered Moody saying he was going to Durmstrang after the holidays. But the hallways they were now walking through were far too narrow and richly decorated to be part of the infamous school for dark wizards.

"Where are we, Mad-Eye?" Sirius asked, also looking around.

"Carpathian Mountains," the Auror grunted. "Dumbledore sent me here to recruit resistance fighters from Durmstrang. I thought the cause was hopeless but Dumbledore seemed to think there were a few who would stand up for justice. He was right, of course. This is the summer home of the leader of the eastern resistance."

The light from their torches fell on the walls and Hermione gasped as she immediately recognized the deep-set eyes and hooked nose of the dour-looking portraits that were following the quintet with their eyes.

"This is Viktor's house?" she asked.

Moody rounded on her.

"How did you know that? Nobody knows that. Who are you?" he demanded.

Tonks quickly stepped between Moody and the petrified witch.

"Christ, Mad-Eye, she dated Krum, remember? She's bound to notice the family resemblance," she said, gesturing to the walls where the portraits were now sneering haughtily. "If you're still not convinced that we come in peace, give us some veritaserum and have done with it."

"Don't tempt me."

Rolling her eyes, Tonks gave Hermione an apologetic smile and they continued to move forward.

"Mad-Eye seem a bit jumpy to you?" Tonks asked discreetly.

"You mean, more than usual?" Bill asked with a grin.

"Crazy old codger," Sirius mumbled.

"I may be old but I'm not deaf, Black. Now shut up or you'll be following us in pieces. This house belongs to a family of dark wizards, despite Viktor's loyalties to the light, and I don't want you to get caught in any traps on the way down. _That's_ why I'm a bit jumpy, Nymphadora."

They all followed in silence.

Moody led them down a grand staircase and into a room lined with towering bookshelves. A dozen people were crowded around a table in the center of the room, but dispersed quickly upon seeing the group enter. Hermione immediately locked eyes with a pair of deep onyx ones from the man who stood commandingly at the center of the table.

"Hermy-oh-ninny," he said and strode over to her to pull her into a bone-crushing hug.

"Viktor," she said somewhat breathlessly. It had been nearly three years since they had last seen each other but his embrace was still familiar and she held him as he stroked her hair.

"I haf missed you," he said, his Slavic accent heavy with emotion. "It has been too long."

Sirius cleared his throat and gave the younger man a dark, penetrating look. Viktor smiled slightly and pulled back from Hermione, looking over his shoulder before turning back to her.

"Hermy-oh-ninny," he said, taking her hand and leading her over to a couch where a very pregnant young brunette sat. "I vould like to introduce my wife, Mina."

"Hello," the woman said with a smile. "Viktor speaks very fondly of you. You are…how you say…his first love."

Hermione flushed in mild embarrassment but there was no malice in the other woman's face. She merely smiled warmly and patted her protruded stomach as Viktor put an affectionate arm around her shoulders.

Moody quickly introduced the rest of the group, a few of whom Hermione recognized vaguely as Viktor's friends from school who had also come to England her fourth year. Once settled, Viktor spoke a few words to Mina, helping her out of her chair, and she excused herself from the room.

"It is best she is not knowing vat ve are planning," Viktor explained to Hermione. "Dat vay, if she is asked, she vill not haf to lie."

Hermione nodded and turned her attention to a pale young man whose name she had forgotten but who reminded her strongly of someone she had seen before. He was showing them an enlarged map similar to the one Kingsley had given her.

"We haf narrowed our search to these two locations," the man said, pointing to two circled areas. "One is the suspected resting place of Vlad Draculya, but it is not close enough to where your friends were encamped to haf offered proper sanctuary for their wounded so quickly after the battle. So, ve think the most likely location is here."

He pointed to one of the circled locations and Hermione leaned in to look.

"Yes," she said after a moment. "Kingsley thought that too." She pulled out her own map and showed the group. "They also thought this location." She pointed to the third location Kingsley had marked.

"Ve looked there," Viktor said, surveying the map. "Unfortunately, it is an abandoned monastery. It is hallowed ground, so the vampires would not go near it. Dolohov has a couple of friends keeping watch on it, though."

He patted the pale man on the shoulder and Hermione immediately knew why she recognized him. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she realized her boyfriend was at the mercy of this man's relative.

"I am sorry for my uncle, Hermy-oh-ninny," the pale man said softly, seeing the anger in her eyes. "He is a bad man, and I am ashamed to be his nephew."

Hermione's face relaxed slightly.

"Viktor will lead a team to the location farther away," Moody said gruffly, interrupting the exchange as his body leaned heavily against his staff. "Even if it's supposedly too far from the campsite, it is an important location for all vampires because of the legend of Vlad Draculya, so we need to make absolutely certain they aren't there because we won't be able to go back again if we fail."

"Failure is not an option," Viktor added resolutely to his peers and Hermione felt a rush of gratitude toward her ex-boyfriend.

"Miss Granger, you and Weasley will go with Viktor," Moody said. "Black, you and Nymphadora will come with me to…"

"No," Sirius interrupted. "I'm going with Hermione. You can take Bill."

"Black, now is _not_ the time…"

"_No_," Sirius said firmly. "I made a promise to Remus before he left to protect her with my life. No offense to Bill, but I doubt he made such an oath."

"Black, we are likely to run into both Dolohov and Lestrange and I need the best duelers we have, which are you and Nymphadora. It's a wrench losing Bill, believe me."

"Hermione has been trained by both Remus and myself. You saw her duel in November, Mad-Eye. You know she is capable…"

"She's a child!" Moody growled.

"Well I'm sorry. She either comes with me or I go with her but you will not part us."

"And if she goes into one of her fits?"

"They're not fits," Bill said hotly, speaking up for the girl who was, for all intents and purposes, his little sister. "It's torture, Mad-Eye, plain and simple. Even _you_ couldn't stop twitching if you got hit with what she's been through. And if you're planning a nighttime ambush, it isn't bloody likely that Lupin will be under torture at the time so I don't think you have to worry about 'Mione."

"Alastor," Viktor said, surprising Hermione with the familiarity he used with the older man. "If ve take Bill and a few extra men, ve should be alright. You vill need every skilled person available, and Hermy-oh-ninny is very skilled."

He smiled at her and she returned it warmly before glancing nervously at Moody.

"Fine," the man said, admitting defeat. "But Miss Granger, you will need all your strength so if you feel any pain tomorrow…"

"Moody, the torture is daily," Sirius said. "But she has done beautifully in the past few days. She will be fine, I assure you."

As if on cue, Hermione felt the intense pain of the Cruciatus Curse grip her. She had trained herself not to scream but she still gripped the edge of the chair tightly, willing herself to breathe deeply as the pain ran its course then slowly subsided.

She winced as the familiar slash of a knife sliced through her, this time across her shoulder. Viktor ran over to her in worry as blood seeped out onto her shirt.

"Don't fuss," she said to him as he watched, astonished, as the wound healed itself. "I'm fine. I'm more frustrated that these damn cuts have ruined quite a few blouses with blood stains."

Tonks, Bill, and Sirius chuckled slightly before turning to Moody. Hermione watched the man, pretending that she wasn't fazed by the severe pain that always gripped her insides for a few seconds after the knife wound healed. Moody regarded her carefully for a few seconds before slowly nodding.

"You know, Miss Granger," he said. "I believe my imposter from your fourth year once told you and Potter that you would make great Aurors. I find that I must agree with him."

Hermione grinned and Sirius rubbed her back comfortingly as the tension in the room slowly subsided. Then Tonks yawned.

"Well, we have a big day ahead of us," she said, stretching her slim, lithe body, much to the appreciation of most of the men in the room. "I think it's time we turned in."

"Yes, you are quite right," Viktor said. "I will show you up to your rooms. I am afraid ve do not haf much space with so many people, but if you do not mind sharing…"

"It's no trouble," Hermione answered for her friends. "Thank you for your hospitality."

He led them up the stairs to a pair of rooms that sat across from each other. Viktor excused himself sheepishly when a brief argument ensued between Tonks and Sirius as to who was going to share which room, but in the end Bill put his foot down and insisted that, despite Sirius's oath to protect Hermione, Remus would not appreciate his best friend sleeping in the same bed as his girlfriend. Hermione bit her lip as she held back her agreement, not wanting to remind him of what happened the last time they shared a bed.

Once they had settled in for the night, Tonks, who had been tossing and turning in the large bed, sighed and looked over at Hermione, who was sitting on the window sill, watching the snow and the waning moon.

"I wish I had said good-bye to Ron," Tonks said, slipping out of the bed and walking over to Hermione.

"Yeah…me too," Hermione agreed quietly, pulling the blanket she had wrapped around her body closer around her. She wondered if Remus could see the moon from where he was and if its pale shine caused him any comfort at all.

"You really do love him, don't you? Remus, I mean, not Ron, because that would be slightly awkward."

Hermione chuckled.

"Yes. I do love him. So much so that it's sometimes quite…overwhelming."

"That's powerful magic," Tonks said. "Dumbledore reckons it's _the_ most powerful magic."

Hermione smiled slightly.

"So I've heard."

"Listen, 'Mione," Tonks said, sitting on the sill facing her friend, and Hermione was caught slightly off-guard by the seriousness of her tone.

"Tomorrow night," she said, looking into Hermione's eyes. "You need to be prepared for anything…or anyone…alright? We are going into the belly of the beast. And neither Moody nor I are so naïve to think they won't be expecting us."

Her eyes darkened slightly.

"I need to know that you are willing to do what is necessary to get Remus out alive."

Hermione knew exactly what Tonks meant, and she nodded solemnly.

"I've killed before out of rage and hate," she said before looking up into her friend's bright eyes. "For love, I think I could kill again."

* * *


	28. Chapter 28: The BestLaid Plans

**A/N:** Thank you so much for all the positive reviews of the past chapter. I know it took awhile for me to update, but I promise I will make more of a conscious effort to assure you that I am NOT abandoning this fic. I know how annoying it can be when a story you enjoy is abandoned, and though I know life tends to happen for people, I assure you that I will try my damnedest to get this finished. And if I don't, feel free to send me a PM or an e-mail telling me to get my lazy butt in gear!

AS ALWAYS, READ and REVIEW PLEASE!!!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Best-Laid Plans**

"Keep your shoulders square. Sweep across your chest when using shield charms. They're more effective that way."

A flick of the wrist sent a stream of blue light ricocheting off her wand to bounce off the now-scorched tapestries.

"Keep your eyes on your opponent. Don't follow the deflected curse with your eyes. A blocked curse isn't powerful enough to hurt anyone you might be fighting next to."

Another sweep of her wand sent his attack of gold sparks behind her. A quick flick she sent back was just barely blocked as he dodged it.

"Good! Be careful to never let your guard down. Be on the lookout for weaknesses but never give your opponent any."

"Constant vigilance, right Padfoot?"

Sirius grinned as Hermione smirked. Her hair had come undone from her elastic and frizzed around her face. She put her hand up to pause him as she put her wand between her teeth to readjust her messy bun. He watched her as her curls tumbled down over her shoulders before she gathered them up again to tie behind her.

Moody had allowed Hermione to sleep a little longer, no doubt owing to Tonks' admission that Hermione hadn't slept much the night before and Sirius's insistence that Hermione would be more alert and focused if she was allowed a few extra hours. When she finally awoke, she found a tray of warm toast and porridge waiting beside her bed. She had consumed it ravenously, not having eaten anything of substance for days. When she emerged from her room, refreshed and more energetic than she had been in days, Moody had insisted that Sirius take her to the ballroom for some last minute defense lessons.

"How's everything going?" Bill asked, peeking his head into the large room.

"Just fine. We're just finishing up," Sirius said, stowing his wand as Hermione walked over to them.

"Should my stomach feel like it has a hundred flobberworms flipping around inside it?" she asked to two wizards, gratefully accepting the large glass of water Sirius had conjured for her.

Bill chuckled.

"You're lucky," he said. "I threw up three times before my first mission. Mum said I'd lost five pounds from the morning I left the house to the evening I returned."

"James said I turned green," Sirius admitted. "Said it was ironic that I would be fighting Slytherins while my skin was their house color. Not the best example of the Potter wit, but it cured my anxiety."

"So you don't get nervous at all now?" Bill asked in slight wonder.

Sirius shook his head.

"I've also done this a few more years than you, mate. When you get to be my age, the idea of creeping up on some vampires won't faze you at all."

Hermione smiled slightly at Bill's contemplative expression.

"I'm sorry you're not coming with us, Bill," she said softly. "I would've gone with you, but…"

"No, 'Mione, it's fine," Bill said. "It might sound cowardly but after what happened to Charlie I really didn't…I don't think I could've…I didn't want to see Bellatrix and Dolohov again so…so I was sorta relieved when Moody paired me with Viktor's crew."

Hermione nodded sympathetically. The horror of witnessing his brother's near-death and subsequent transformation into the very same blood-sucking beast that had caused that near-death experience had really done a number on Bill. She knew he hadn't had time to heal yet.

"It's alright, mate," Sirius said with a small grin. "More fun for us."

There was a slight morbid quality to their conversation that Hermione attributed to the war-like atmosphere around them. The usually calm, cool demeanor she had always loved about Bill had been replaced by a quiet insecurity. Sirius had become hardened and dry. Even Tonks, who Hermione had never thought of as someone easily affected by anything, was less boisterous, and her hair had reverted back to her normal long, raven-hued locks that reminded Hermione that she was, after all, a Black.

"Well, Moody told me to come up here and get you for lunch before we finished strategizing for tonight," Bill said, running his hand shyly through his long red hair.

"OK. We'll be down in a minute," Sirius replied. Bill nodded and walked out.

"Are you going to be alright, love?" Sirius asked Hermione as she stared off into space. "You know, no one will think less of you if you decided to stay here."

She shook her head.

"I wouldn't want to miss the _fun_," she said dryly.

He gave her a wry smile.

"You remind me so much of Lily," he said. "She hated James and my constant pranking but when it came down to it, she was our fifth Marauder. Actually," His eyes darkened. "By seventh year, she was really the _fourth_ Marauder because Peter kept disappearing to God-knows-where." He sighed. "I suppose that should have been our first indication of his treachery."

"Sirius," Hermione whispered, taking his hand. "You have to stop beating yourself up about it. It's not your fault."

He smiled slightly down at her, kissing her forehead gently.

"The guilt keeps me going, love," he said before giving her hand a squeeze. "Now, let's go get some food."

The rest of the day seemed to fly by in a haze of preparations and soon Hermione found herself in her room after sundown, digging through the rucksack Tonks had packed for her. She arched her eyebrow as she pulled out the outfit Tonks intended her to wear so they could blend into the darkness of the night.

"Black fatigues and army boots?" she asked the older witch as Tonks laced up her own boots. "A bit Muggle-action-film-cliché, don't you think?"

"Yeah, a bit. I actually said the same thing when Moody said black was the best for stealth and camouflage during Auror training, but then he showed this Muggle film about this spy named James Bond and everything made much more sense."

Hermione snorted.

"James Bond? Really?"

Tonks shrugged.

"There's not much difference between a secret agent and an Auror," she said. "And I think, considering the circumstances, we all have a license to kill at this point. I know I owe Aunt Bella several killing curses for the pain she has brought my family."

Hermione knew she couldn't really disagree.

As they made their way into the foyer, Sirius whistled.

"You two make about the prettiest soldiers I've ever seen," he teased.

"Flattery will get you no where, Mr. Black," Tonks said with a laugh.

"Nothing like the threat of death to stir up the old primal instincts," he said, a hint of his Marauder grin as he winked at Hermione. "You ready, love?"

"As ready as one could ever be," she replied.

"I've already scouted the apparition point with Dimitri and Gregor," Moody said, hobbling through the group toward the front. "I'll take Sirius first and he'll stand guard with Dimitri and Gregor while I come back for the girls. Remember, we rendezvous back here, no matter what. If you have an enemy with you, it is much easier to deal with him here than risk splinching yourself trying to change course. Constant vigilance, everyone!"

When all were in agreement, Sirius grabbed Moody's arm and they apparated with a 'pop', followed quickly by the two assigned resistance fighters.

"Hermy-oh-ninny," Viktor said, pulling her to the side. "I vant you to take this." He slipped a necklace over his head and settled it around her neck. Examining it, she saw it was a galleon hanging on a gold chain.

"Viktor…" she started to protest but he cut her off.

"It vas one of the galleons Potter earned at the tournament," he explained. "He sent one to all of us. Me, Fleur, and the Diggory boy's parents. He said it vas to remind us vat ve are fighting for. I haf worn it ever since, and I haf never lost a quidditch match while I had it. I think it is bringing me luck, and I vant you to haf it."

"I couldn't…" she said but before she could protest, Moody was back.

"Viktor!" he barked. "Get a move on! Miss Granger, if you please."

Hermione gave Viktor a quick kiss on the cheek before grasping Moody's arm. She felt the uncomfortable squeeze of side-along apparition and closed her eyes before feeling her feet touch land a few moments later.

She felt a protective arm around her and opened her eyes just in time to see Moody disapparate back to the manor to get Tonks. Sirius had his arm around her shoulders as he scanned the wooden clearing. Gregor and Dimitri were doing the same and she realized they were all circling around her, keeping her out of sight. She drew her own wand, steeling herself for whatever lay ahead. She was in battle mode now.

Moody reappeared seconds later with Tonks.

"Alright," he whispered roughly. "The building is about a mile due north. Dimitri, Nymphadora, and I will approach from the east side. Black, Gregor, and Miss Granger, you will approach from the west. Any questions?" They all shook their heads. "Good. Whoever finds Lupin and Shacklebolt, just grab them and go back to the manor. Do not seek out Lestrange and Dolohov. Am I clear?" They all nodded again, though Sirius and Tonks somewhat reluctantly. "Alright. Good luck and God speed."

Without another word, they disappeared into the dark forest.

***

Remus was pacing frantically, his nerves on edge. It was after nightfall. He knew it was after nightfall because everything was eerily quiet and had been for several hours. He had never been awake this late. Usually, Bellatrix would have come down with her knife and her insane sadism, and he would have been tortured and passed out by this point.

But he wasn't. And that was not a good sign.

As he paced, he thought of Dolohov's words: _"And I for one will relish the idea of the light leaving those innocent brown eyes as you take her like the savage, uncontrollable beast you are."_ The words made him shudder in foreboding and even the wolf was uncharacteristically quiet. Remus knew that neither he nor the wolf would ever harm Hermione intentionally, but Dolohov's other words, _"…you seem under the misapprehension that you will have a choice…"_ kept repeating though his head.

What were they going to do to him to cause such a violent reaction?

As if on cue, the steel door opened to reveal Bellatrix, a broad, maniacal grin on her face. Remus tensed, but she laughed; that cackling, insane laugh that chilled his bones.

"I'm not going to hurt you, half-breed," she said with vicious glee. "You'll need all your strength tonight."

He froze. So _that_ was why there had been no torture. They, his friends and girlfriend, were coming for him. He wished he hadn't prayed for respite in those moments of weakness when the torture had been unbearable. He wished instead that he had given in to his cowardice and prayed for death. At least no one, least of all the love of his life, would be at risk of getting hurt because of him.

"You seem hesitant to part from our hospitality. Unwilling to watch your friends meet their inevitable demise? Or are you worried about your Mudblood whore?"

Remus growled.

"I swear, Bellatrix, you better pray that I don't make it out of here alive because if I do, so help me I will tear you limb from limb and not lose a night's sleep over it."

She chuckled maliciously.

"You won't last past tonight. If we don't kill you than the guilt you will have from raping your little girlfriend will destroy you."

He paled.

"W…what?"

At that moment, a shrill siren started blasting. It gave seven long cries before all was silent again. Bellatrix glanced around amusedly.

"That was our alarm system," she said mildly, though Remus had surmised as much on his own. "I'm sure we can thank my idiot niece and her clumsy footwork for the gracious warning of their approach."

Remus's head was spinning, his mind not focused on his incoming saviors. They were expecting him to _rape_ Hermione? The irrational side of him was almost laughing at the impossibility of it, but the rational side, the side that had been quoting Dolohov all day, had paralyzed him with a fear far more tangible than anything the Abject Fear potion could conjure.

As if reading his thoughts, Bellatrix smiled at him again.

"Tell me, _professor_," she said, a slight mocking lilt to her tone as she withdrew a vile from her robes. "Are you familiar with…Aphrodesia?"

***

Hermione froze as she heard a shrill siren in the distance. Sirius and Gregor paused too, their wands clenched tightly in front of them. The siren blasted seven times before silence engulfed them once more.

Sirius said _'Lumos!'_ and shone his light around the ground. There, two feet in front of them, was a small haze of green fog. It would have been easy to step over it, but Hermione knew someone from the other team had tripped the alarm.

"Bloody Tonks," Sirius murmured, extinguishing his light and plunging them back into the darkness. Gingerly, they stepped over the fog, pausing for a heart-stopping second to make sure they, too, didn't trip the alarm.

"So much for the element of surprise," Sirius said dryly as they continued, eyes now glued to the ground.

"It's not like they didn't know we were coming," Hermione reminded.

"Yeah, but I would have preferred they not have a time frame," he replied.

A few more minutes of rapt attention to their surroundings had them in front of a large stone wall. Gregor immediately started stomping the ground, searching for the trap door Moody had told them about as Sirius and Hermione held their wands aloft in tense anticipation.

A soft 'thud' marked the discovery of the door.

Gregor and Sirius heaved the door up as Hermione guarded their surroundings. Gregor descended first, giving a soft whistle to inform them the coast was clear on his end.

Sirius looked at Hermione.

"You ready?"

She nodded tensely.

"Let's go."

***

Remus was deathly white as he stared unblinkingly at the red liquid in the vial.

Aphrodesia. The most powerful lust potion in the world. Used primarily in a diluted form by unscrupulous wizards who laced unsuspecting women's drinks so they could take the woman home for their own carnal enjoyment. In its concentrated form it was highly potent and very illegal, but not dangerous to most people.

Unfortunately, Remus knew that the potion was something else entirely in a werewolf's system. It wasn't deadly, per say, but extremely dangerous to the witch – or sometimes wizard – the werewolf had in his sights. The potion brought out the base animal instincts, making the werewolf insatiable and impossible to control. If he ingested the potion and then saw Hermione, there was no telling what Mooney would do to her.

He did know one thing, though. A struggling woman would only feed the beast's lust. Rape was inevitable.

"I can see you know what effects this potion will have on a filthy animal like you," Bellatrix said, looking fondly at the liquid. "Your little slut is in for a treat, and I will enjoy the last look of desperation in her eyes before you literally fuck her to death."

Despite the woman's evil, the expletive coming from her lips seemed course, common, and out of place.

Remus looked at her defiantly.

"You might as well kill me now, because I will not drink it."

"Now now, Lupin," Dolohov said, entering the room with a cool smirk. "You will do whatever we decide."

Before he could say anything, Remus's body was bound with invisible ropes and his mouth was being wrenched open with a force so strong he wondered briefly if his jaw would snap. Bellatrix was standing next to him now, and she tilted the potion down his throat. It burned a fiery path through his body and as Dolohov released his binds, Remus fell to his knees, spluttering and heaving to try and expel it.

But it was too late and from the looks of eager anticipation on the Death Eaters' faces, Remus knew Hermione was approaching.

***

"It should not be this easy," Sirius mumbled as he jumped the last two rungs to land on the dirty stone floor. They were in a long corridor, the air dark and dank and sound of dripping water echoed off the walls.

Warning sat in the pit of Hermione's stomach. Sirius was right. It _shouldn't_ be that easy. The two Death Eaters knew they were coming. Their first priority would be to secure the prisoners. But if Moody's calculations were correct, they had landed in the middle of the dungeons and there wasn't a soul, alive or undead, waiting for them.

"Which way?" Hermione asked, looking up and down the corridor.

They paused, listening intently. Within seconds, the silence was shattered by the sounds of a struggle to their right. The murmurs of shouts and curses filled their ears and Gregor looked at them in a slight panic.

"That is Moody," he said, the alarm clear in his voice.

"Go," Sirius said. "Go help them and keep them busy. Maybe Hermione and I will be able to continue on undetected."

The larger man nodded and sprinted off down the corridor.

Sirius and Hermione started down the other way, wands trained ahead of them, looking around for any indication of movement. Rounding several corners, they saw a light ahead of them. Approaching cautiously, they saw an open door. Remus was in the room, doubled over on his hands and knees, retching. All the tension she had been carrying abated and, momentarily forgetting herself, Hermione cried out:

"Remus!"

The man looked up and upon seeing her, his face ran a canvas of emotions. She was able, however, to make out one word that left his lips:

"No."

"Hermione, stop!"

But she ignored Sirius's voice. Happiness and relief spread through her as she ran to Remus. She could hear Sirius's footsteps behind her, feel his urgent swipes at her arm to hold her back, but she didn't care. Remus was there and he was _alive_. That was all that mattered now.

It wasn't until too late that Sirius caught her, sending them both tumbling into the room. Immediately, the door closed with a 'clang' and Hermione watched in horror as Sirius was wrenched to his feet, his wand kicked to a corner and his arms pinned behind him by a sneering Dolohov as Bellatrix ran her wand softly over his neck.

"Hello, cousin," she purred, licking up the side of his face as Sirius struggled fruitlessly against his captor. "Miss me?"


	29. Chapter 29: To Love a Werewolf

**A/N:** As promised, I didn't take long to update again. The truth be told, I had this written out as the original end of the previous chapter, but I felt it worked better standing on its own. Anyway, don't worry, Remus does not do anything horrible to Hermione.

This chapter is dedicated to **Forget Me Not Blue**, for being so very patient.

AS ALWAYS, READ and REVIEW!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Nine: To Love a Werewolf**

"Sirius…" Hermione cried out, grasping for her wand only to have it kicked away from her as Bellatrix hauled the younger girl up, her wand still trained on Sirius.

"Lovely of you to join us, Mudblood," she said, brushing a cold hand over Hermione's cheek.

"Don't touch her!" Sirius shouted as Bellatrix grinned insanely.

"Sirius…I'm sorry…" Hermione said, tears welling in her eyes at her own stupidity. _Of course_ it had been a trap. Why else would the door have been open?

"Do you know who I am, little girl?" Bellatrix asked, tugging Hermione's hair so she was looking at her.

"Yes," Hermione hissed, trying to will back her tears.

"Good. Do you know what I am capable of?"

"Yes."

Why wasn't Remus trying to help them?

"Your half-breed boyfriend is a bit preoccupied at the moment," the crazed woman said as though reading Hermione's thoughts, turning them so she could see her lover. He seemed to be fighting an internal battle, his hands ripping at his shirt while trying to avert his eyes from her.

"Remus," she whispered and his head snapped up, his eyes meeting hers. She was startled by the rapidity with which his irises were changing from stormy gray to glittering amber and back again.

"As you can see, he's slightly busy," Bellatrix murmured. "He's taken a little potion, you see, and now he's so very eager to see you."

"You poisoned him?" Hermione asked in horror.

Bellatrix cackled loudly.

"Poison? No no, Mudblood, where would the fun be in that? No, he's ingested a lovely little liquid that warms the blood and clouds the senses."

"Aphrodesia," Sirius whispered and suddenly he was struggling harder against Dolohov.

Dolohov merely chuckled.

"Try all you wish, Black, but even if you are able to free yourself, you will be dead before you have a chance to save the little whore."

"Hermione," Sirius said urgently, twisting as he tried to escape his captor. "Remus has been given a lust potion. Do you know what primal potions do to werewolves?"

Hermione spun through her mental rolodex and tried to remember everything she had ever read about werewolves. Her heart stopped suddenly when she realized just what a lust potion could do to him and more importantly, what it could do to her.

"That's right," Bellatrix said silkily, seeing the terror-filled comprehension dawn on her prisoner's face. "He's insatiable. He will take you and mount you and rut against you until he has had his fill. All that from the man you _love_." The scorn in her voice was evident as she pushed Hermione forcefully towards Remus. "Here she is, Lupin. Take her. She's waited so long for your touch."

"Remus…" Hermione sobbed, frightened by the fiery look he was giving her. His chest was heaving and she could see his sizable reaction to her presence straining against his torn pants.

"Hermione," he gasped, his eyes shifting to the stormy gray she loved, now looking at her in fear and horror. "I can't…I'm sorry…"

His eyes flicked to bright gold and he took a step towards her.

She backed away, looking at an equally helpless-looking Sirius. Bellatrix had her wand at his throat again and both she and Dolohov were sneering in quiet anticipation.

Hermione looked back at Remus and suddenly she knew that it was Mooney who was approaching her. She wondered why she felt so cold. Why couldn't she feel him anymore? Surely his lust was strong enough that she would be able to feel it somehow through their connected animagus souls, especially since Remus could no longer control his wolf. So why was his predatory gaze instilling her with such fear rather than desire?

As if the same thoughts were running through Sirius's mind, he shouted to her:

"Hermione, remember how you saw your own face? You need to connect to his mind. Picture yourself!"

She heard a 'pop' and a cry of pain and she knew Dolohov had dislocated Sirius's shoulder.

Focusing through her fear, Hermione imagined the reflection she had seen of herself the night she and Remus made love. At the sight of her own long, honey-brown curls and full, pink lips, she felt a rush of heat pool to her core, a desire the likes of which she had never felt pulsating through her body.

Mooney was close now, his breath on her neck as his hands gripped her hips. She let out a small, involuntary moan at the contact, feeling his touch sear her skin. She knew in the back of her mind that this was wrong – that she should not be responding this way – but she continued to focus on the image that caused the same lust that boiled within his veins to boil in hers.

Mooney sniffed the air, growling as he caught the scent of her desire. He ripped at the fabric of her shirt, tearing jagged holes in the cotton as his nails caught her skin. Pushing her against the wall, Mooney ignored the red lines that his nails had left on her pale skin. Hermione, however, winced at the pain of the scratches and the discomfort of the hard rocks that now dug into her back. The spell she had managed to conjure for herself was broken as fear gripped her again, and she tried to struggle out of Remus's grip.

"Don't fight him," Sirius said desperately. "It will only make him worse!"

Another 'pop' and another cry told her that Dolohov had repeated the action with Sirius's other shoulder.

Taking a deep breath, Hermione willed the image of herself back, but she couldn't. The fear was too strong; too overwhelming. This man was not the man she loved. This man was an animal, an untamed beast who would not think twice at hurting her – maybe even killing her. This was the side of Remus he had warned her about; the creature that he had feared above all things.

'_This is it,'_ her logic told her. _'This is why he was so hesitant in the first place. He didn't want you to meet Mooney. He didn't want you to hate him because of this monster.'_

'_But Mooney __isn't__ a monster!'_ another voice said in Hermione's head and all of a sudden, Hermione realized that the man in front of her _was_ Remus. Mooney was Remus and Remus was Mooney and she had sworn that she loved them both.

And she did. Unconditionally.

Swallowing her fear, Hermione willed herself to look up into Mooney's amber eyes. She would not cower before him. Mooney hesitated, his grip on her hips softening as she continued to gaze unblinkingly into his eyes, tears falling from her own.

"I love you," she whispered. "All of you. Remus…Mooney…I love you both. And I forgive you."

Mooney continued to look at her, his eyes curious at the beautiful girl before him. She was frightened – he knew that much – but it was not of him. She would not struggle because she loved him and forgave him for what he was about to do. She loved him…_him_, Mooney…and she would bravely endure his depraved lust because of it.

And suddenly, his canines were bared and he sunk his teeth into her tender shoulder.

"No!" Sirius cried as he powerlessly watched his best friend bite the woman they both loved.

Hermione had closed her eyes, prepared for whatever he was about to do. When she felt nothing for a few seconds, she opened her eyes but was just in time to see him approach her and sink his teeth into her body. She froze in slight disbelief for a split second before the pain hit – the overpowering, devastating pain – consuming her whole body before she felt consciousness leave her and everything went blissfully dark.

Remus felt his own consciousness return to him and he looked in horror at the girl in his arms. She lay limp, her skin pale as blood rushed from a wound on her shoulder. Purely on instinct, he leaved the wound with his tongue, trying to stop the flow of blood. He did not notice as the wound closed under his ministrations and when she did not awake, he felt rage overtake him.

Laying her gently on the ground, he turned to the stunned Death Eaters and his dismayed friend.

"I warned you, Bellatrix," Remus growled, feeling a magic engulf him that he had never felt before. "I told you to pray that I would not get out of here alive. Now you will pay."

He could almost feel the power encircle him as, wandlessly, he sent the two captors flying against the wall. Their wands clattered to the floor as they slumped over. With another wandless wave, Remus sent their wands flying into the corner.

Sirius struggled to his feet before rushing over to Hermione.

"You dare to toy with things you cannot understand," Remus said to them, raising his hands and in the process lifting both Death Eaters to their feet. Another flick of his wrists and the cries of the two evil magical beings echoed through the chamber as he focused all his hate and rage into the most powerful Cruciatus Curse he could muster. He heard bones crack and Bellatrix let out a shrill cry but he did not care. Simple death was too good for them after they had taken away his only reason for life.

He was avenging his love.

"Remus," Sirius said and Remus turned to his friend, who was kneeling next to Hermione. His arms were laying limply by his sides. "Remus, stop. This isn't you."

"It is now," Remus said, turning his attention back to the two writhing figures before letting the curse up momentarily, letting them fall in a heap of broken limbs on the floor.

He walked over to the corner to retrieve the wands and barely acknowledged Sirius's groan of pain that followed a sickening 'pop'. Turning to his friend, he saw Sirius leaning heavily against the wall, having used the stone structure to set one of his shoulders. Walking over to the flinching wizard, Remus ignored the cry of pain his friend gave as he pushed the other shoulder back into place before handing both Sirius and Dolohov's wand to his friend.

Holding Hermione and Bellatrix's wands, Remus turned back to the Death Eaters. Dolohov was still in a heap on the ground but Bellatrix had managed to get herself standing, despite the broken leg and the snapped wrist.

"Where is my wand?" Remus asked the witch calmly.

She spit on the ground at his feet.

"You think you'll be able to leave here alive?" she snarled. "The Dark Lord knows you are here. He will come if I call him."

She lifted her arm, revealing the dark tattoo on her wrist, but Remus simply flicked his wrist again and she was writhing on the floor once more. Remus delighted in her strangled cries of anguish as the snap of her bones met his ears like the beautiful strains of a long-forgotten but often-cherished tune.

"Remus…" a weak voice said and all of a sudden, the additional power that had encircled him was gone. Bellatrix fell limply on the ground as Remus spun around to see Hermione slowly standing, her shoulder still caked in blood but very much alive.

He rushed to her, all the rage and hate draining from him as he did so. He embraced her tightly, holding her with every intention of remaining attached to her for the rest of his life. The contact between them felt so _right_, so _perfect_, and he was suddenly stricken with the realization that he had been empty when he thought she was gone. She completed him in a way that he knew was singular and very rare.

"I thought I'd lost you," he whispered into her hair, kissing her temple before moving his lips to every part of her face he could touch. "I thought Mooney had…"

"No," she replied, kissing his lips softly. "Mooney was just returning my love in the only way he knew how."

Pulling back from him, she tilted her head to expose her shoulder. He expected to see teeth marks but instead he found five small runes running in a clean half-circle along her collarbone.

"He marked you," Remus whispered, reaching out to touch the small symbols.

"Remus!" Sirius suddenly shouted but before Remus could react, a blinding, searing pain engulfed his body. He felt something sharp embed itself in his back and he felt his insides twist as he fell forward, into Hermione's arms.

"Hermione," he whispered, gripping her shoulders as he collapsed to his knees. Unconsciousness was pressing upon him, and the last thing he saw before the darkness consumed him was Hermione's face.

Hermione couldn't breathe. Just when she had gotten him back, her lover and her soul mate, he had been torn from her by the maniacal witch who Sirius now had his wand trained on. Hermione didn't look at her, though, as she fell to her knees next to Remus's unmoving body. A knife stuck out of his back and as she slowly withdrew it, she saw drops of his blood boil off the blade, evaporating in a cloud of foul-smelling smoke.

Silver. Bellatrix had a silver dagger. And suddenly, everything made sense to Hermione. The mysterious cuts, the internal ache of her body – it all fell together in one horribly clear picture.

Hermione went numb as she turned to the sneering witch.

"Aw," Bellatrix said, her face a smirking nightmare. "Too bad. So sad."

Hermione did not say a word as she stood, picking up her wand on the way. Blood boiled within her and rage rang in her ears, muffling the sound of Sirius's voice as Hermione turned her wand on the Death Eater. Sirius's words were lost as Hermione's eyes were trained on Bellatrix, the older woman seeming to dare Hermione to do something.

"This is for Remus," she said coldly.

Two words spoken silently but with malice sent a jet of green light from Hermione's wand and with a face frozen in a mixture of shock and glee, Bellatrix Lestrange keeled over dead.


	30. Chapter 30: Escape

**A/N:** Not entirely sure what to say about this chapter except that I find it interesting writing action/adventure. Definitely a learning curve.

THANKS and READ and REVIEW!

**Chapter Thirty: Escape**

For almost a full minute, there was a silence more deafening than any sound Hermione could imagine.

Then the full weight of her actions dawned upon her and the numbness that had engulfed her body was quickly replaced by guilt. She had taken a life. A worthless, evil, cursed life, true, but a life nonetheless. She, Hermione Granger, best friend of the Boy-that-Lived and fierce warrior of the side of light, had killed in cold blood. She had tainted her soul and had stooped to the lowest level.

And yet…

"Hermione, we have to go!"

Sirius's voice pulled her from her thoughts and she turned to see him heaving Remus up. Despite his injured shoulders, Sirius was able to get his unconscious friend to his feet, his lip arm draped across Sirius's back. Hermione rushed to help, but Sirius shook his head.

"We need Dolohov. I can't take both of them. Bind him and let's…"

As if on cue, the door burst open and Tonks rushed in, disheveled but otherwise unharmed. She was followed closely by Moody and a battered but equally unscathed Kingsley. Gregor, his wand trained on the corridor, brought up the rear, blood gushing from a cut just above his eye.

"Is…is he…" Tonks started but Moody stopped her.

"No time for questions, Nymphadora. Shacklebolt, bind those two and let's go. We need to get back to the manor _now_."

Kingsley ran to Dolohov, rifling through his robes and producing both his and Remus's wands. Tossing Remus's wand to Hermione, he hoisted Dolohov onto his shoulders in a fireman's carry before moving to Bellatrix.

"Leave her," Sirius said, his voice the only indication of his pain from Remus's dead weight. "She's no use to us now."

Glancing up quickly, Kingsley gave both Sirius and Hermione a long look before Moody said:

"For God's sake, let's go. We need get back to headquarters."

The six of them and their quarry rushed into the corridor, Gregor leading and Moody at the rear. Hermione ran forward, taking Remus's other arm over her slight frame to relieve Sirius of some of the weight. Looking around, she frowned slightly as she noticed they were short one person.

"Where's Dimitri?" she asked.

"We've been betrayed," Moody said gruffly. "He was working for the other side. We were ambushed by Voldemort's vampire army when we got here."

"If Gregor hadn't shown up when he did, I don't know what would have happened," Tonks added.

When they reached the surface, Kingsley looked at Moody.

"How far to the apparition point, Alastor? I don't know how much farther I can carry him," he said, struggling under Dolohov's weight.

"We'll go from here. I have a portkey," Moody replied, pulling out a rusty hubcap from his cloak. Tapping it with his wand, everyone put their finger on it before it glowed bright blue and Hermione felt the familiar pull at her navel before she was pitched forward into the swirling vortex of light.

A few seconds later, she landed heavily on the marble floor of the manor entranceway. They were greeted by the sounds of confusion and battle. Jumping to her feet, she saw resistance fighters dueling Voldemort's pale vampiric army, and she ducked as hexes scattered around her.

"Moody! Thank God!" Bill's voice called as Hermione hexed an oncoming vampire, sending him flying into the wall.

"Weasley! Report!" Moody shouted as every available hand joined the chaotic fray.

"They knew we were coming," Bill said, slightly breathless as he tried to fight his way over to them. "They ambushed us and when we retreated, they followed. They knew where to find us."

"Bloody Dimitri!" Moody growled, flicking his wand and sending two vampires careening out the door. "Casualties?"

"Well…"

"Viktor?" a female voice called out, and they turned to see Mina rushing through the battle, wand clutched in one hand as the other protected her large belly. "Viktor, where are you?"

"_Christosempra!_" Hermione shouted at an approaching vampire, causing the man to burst into flames as she ran to the distraught woman.

"Mad-Eye, we've got to get them out of here!" Sirius shouted, dragging Remus as he fended off attackers.

"Get Lupin and Mrs. Krum up to the ballroom," Moody barked before he continued dueling.

Kingsley grabbed Remus's other arm as Hermione pulled Mina up the stairs. Feeling the convergence of several vampires, both witches threw hex after hex to fend them off. The sheer number of them was overwhelming, however, and once they got to the ballroom, Hermione threw herself against the door, warding it with the most powerful charms she could think of but knowing the sheer volume of their enemies would tear them down as quickly as she threw them up.

In desperation, she counterbalanced her weight against the door as she felt the vampires struggle to get in and Sirius, sensing she was no longer behind them, paused to look back at her.

"Hermione, come on!"

"Sirius, take Mina and Remus to Hogwarts. Remus needs Dumbledore."

"I'm not leaving you."

"Black, we don't have much time," Kingsley said, urging Sirius toward the fireplace.

Mina looked desperately at Hermione.

"Viktor," she said. "I could not find him. I don't know where he is."

"He'll want you safe, Mina," Hermione replied, wincing as a particularly ferocious push from the other side of the door jarred her shoulder. "He'll want you to save the baby."

"I…I…"

"Mrs. Krum, please," Kingsley said, his eyes wide with anxiety as he saw the strain on Hermione's face from trying to keep the door closed with both her wards and her body.

"You save him, Hermy-oh-ninny," Mina cried as Kingsley grabbed her hand and pulled her to the fireplace. "You bring him him back to me."

"I promise. Now go!"

"Just say 'Albus Dumbledore' and you'll be safe," Kingsley told Mina as she stepped into the green flames. "Tell him your name and he'll take care of you."

She nodded and with the instructed words, disappeared.

"Sirius, go!" Hermione shouted as she felt her wards start to break again.

"I can't! I promised…"

"You kept your promise! You're injured now and I will _not_ have your death on my conscience."

"I can still flick my wand! I can still duel."

"These are vampires, Sirius, not wizards. We need strength and speed more than skill. Now _go_!"

"But…"

"For God's sake, Black!" Kingsley roared, glaring at the protesting wizard.

"No! Hermione…"

"Sirius, I saved your life once already. You owe me. Save my husband's," she pleaded.

He paused, looking at her, and Kingsley took the opportunity to push Sirius and Remus into the floo.

"I love you," Sirius mouthed to Hermione before saying: "Albus Dumbledore!" and disappearing.

A moment later, the door crashed in, sending Hermione tumbling back as a dozen vampires spilled into the ballroom. Standing up again, Hermione and Kingsley started sending hexes and jinxes at the lesser beings, managing to knock out or destroy most of them before they started towards the door.

"Husband, eh?" Kingsley said with a small smile as they rushed down the hallway back to the battle in the foyer, throwing hexes behind them at the handful of pursuing vampires.

Hermione allowed herself a small smile.

"Long story. Remind me to tell it to you when this is over."

Rushing down the stairs, Hermione immediately saw that the number of enemies had multiplied. Bodies of fallen wizards and vampires scattered the floor and Moody, Bill, and Tonks each had for foes apiece.

"We're outnumbered," Kingsley said somewhat redundantly.

"Just save as many as you can. Get everyone back to Hogwarts," she said.

"Maybe you should have gone…"

"I have to find Viktor," she interrupted before shifting into her animagus form and leaping into the throng.

Ducking and weaving oncoming curses was easier on four legs than on two, despite the drawback of being unable to use a wand. She had the advantage of being below eye level, making the element of surprise all the more effective. Rushing at a pair of vampires who were converging on a struggling Tonks, they both gave cries of pain as she tackled them, biting down as hard as she could on whichever limb was most accessible.

"Cheers, 'Mione!" Tonks called, felling two of her opponents as she sent two pieces of splintered table leg plunging into their chests.

Hermione felt her senses tingling. There was blood everywhere, mostly from the vampires' badly-aimed _'Sectumsempra'_ curses – seemingly a species favorite – but her wolf senses could catch faint traces of injury or death. Sliding slightly on the increasingly-slick floor, Hermione caught the scene of Viktor's blood before she could see the wizard.

Rounding a corner, Hermione saw the man in question slumped on the floor as a particularly voracious blood-sucker fed from an open artery. Shifting back to her human form, she felt rage swell once again within her core and she flew at the unsuspecting foe.

"_Divinagua!_" she screamed, a jets of holy water sprayed from her wand and rained upon the man. He shrieked as his flesh burned and Hermione pulled Viktor away just as the being burst into flames.

She knelt by her ex-boyfriend, whose eyes were quickly dulling as his lids grew heavy. Streams of blood were flowing down his neck and Hermione tore at the bottom of her shirt to make a tourniquet of sorts, trying to stop the blood flow.

He lifted his hand weakly.

"Don't…fuss…" he managed, giving her the soft smile he had saved only for her when they had dated.

"Don't you dare die on me, Viktor Krum," she said, feeling the cloth under her fingers dampen with his blood. "I promised your wife I'd save you."

"Mina…" he croaked. "Where…"

"She's at Hogwarts. She's safe."

"Safe…" he breathed, taking a shuddering breath. "Tell her…I'm sorry…"

"No," Hermione said soothingly, trying to will her tears away. "Don't talk like that. This is nothing. A mere scratch."

He gave a weak chuckle.

"Some…scratch," he gasped. "Hermy-oh-ninny…"

"Yes, Viktor?" she said, stifling a sob as she saw the light dulling dangerously from his eyes.

"Hogwarts was…always…home…I vant…I vant to…to go back…"

"Yes," she said, silent tears falling. "Yes, I'll take you back. I'll take you back and Madame Pomfrey will fix you. Just like with the dragons."

He smiled.

"Good…"

And the light left, and he was gone.

Hermione let out a sob as her tears raced down her cheeks. She cradled him in her arms, unfazed by the blood staining her skin. She held him, feeling the warmth fading from his body and she clung closer to him, trying to transfer her heat to him.

That was how Kingsley and Tonks found her minutes later.

"Oh thank God," Tonks said, rushing over to her. "We thought you had…well…"

"We have to go, Hermione," Kingsley said, trying to help her to her feet.

"We have to take Viktor," she sobbed, refusing to let go of her friend. "I promised him I would take him back to Hogwarts…to his wife..."

"There's no time," Kingsley said desperately. "I'm sorry…"

Hermione looked into his eyes.

"You promise me you'll take him," she said. "And I'll give you time."

"'Mione!" Tonks shouted as Hermione rushed around the corner, straight into two dozen blood-lusting faces.

She had felt the surge of power course through her body when Remus fell, but she hadn't fully appreciated its effects until that moment. Wielding her wand, she blocked the oncoming hexes, feeling them shatter against her shield. With speed and dexterity, she retaliated, sending the vampires scattering. From her peripheral she could see Kingsley, carrying Viktor, rush toward the stairs. Tonks grabbed Hermione's arm, pulling her insistently toward them.

Hermione waved her wand.

"_Incendiacarsum!_" she shouted and a ring of fire swept from her wand around the group of remaining vampires, the flames licking the ceiling as they trapped the demons within. Manipulating her wand, the fire enclosed over them and she could hear the angry screams of pain.

"Hermione, let's go!" Tonks shouted and the Muggleborn broke her focus to race up the stairs.

"Blimey, you are bloody stubborn," Tonks huffed as they burst into the ballroom. The room bore the scars of the battle that had clearly moved from the foyer upstairs. Tapestries hung limply from the walls, their inhabitants either disappeared or clinging to objects in order to save themselves from falling out of frame. The marble floor bore dark black marks where hexes hit and pools of congealing blood surrounded the outline of what had been a body. Drapes smoked from being singed by an inflamed vampire.

"What about the bodies?" Hermione asked, wondering if the pale, lifeless form of Dolohov's nephew lying sprawled on the stairs would ever leave her mind.

"Hermione…" Tonks said, sympathetic despite her growing impatience. "We cannot save everyone."

"I just…I can't imagine just…"

A loud 'bang' and several 'pops' signaled the arrival of reinforcements downstairs.

"Hermione!" Tonks said urgently. "Floo! Now!"

The two witches ran for the fireplace but as they each went to grab a handful of floo powder, their nails scraped the bottom of the flower pot that sat by the mantle, both coming up with only a little bit of dust.

"There's not enough for two," Hermione said.

"You go. I'll stay and…" Tonks trailed off as Hermione saw a flicker of fear in the older woman's defiant face.

"Don't be stupid," Hermione said, pressing her powder into Tonks' hand. "Go and tell Dumbledore. I'll be able to hold off until someone comes."

"They won't come in time, 'Mione," Tonks said softly. "And there are too many…"

"I can handle it."

"We could go together…"

"You know the only way we could go together is if one of us is either unconscious or…"

"Dead?"

A silky voice came from the door and they turned to see the cold, snakelike eyes of Lord Voldemort himself gazing maliciously at them. Hermione felt Tonks freeze beside her. Neither of them had seen Voldemort in the flesh before, but Hermione immediately knew she could happily go for several lifetimes without ever seeing him again.

"Well well, Mudblood, you really are one of the most infuriating little girls I've ever met," Voldemort continued, his voice unnaturally high-pitched. "You killed one of my loyalist subjects. I do not take kindly to that."

Hermione stepped in front of Tonks, backing her friend to the fireplace. By some stroke of luck, Voldemort seemed not to have noticed as his eyes were fixed on Hermione's face.

"Death, I think, I can help you with," he said, raising his wand. "But first I want to see just how dirty your blood really is. _Sectumsempra!_"

A flash of light and Hermione felt searing pain tear down the front of her chest as blood gushed from a wound. She barely registered the arms that shot around her chest, of the fact that she tumbled backwards, a flash of green light just missing her as it flew past her ear. It wasn't until she was enveloped by the oddly-comforting warmth of green flames that she gave into the descending unconsciousness.

1,800 miles away, Remus Lupin awoke screaming Hermione's name.


	31. Chapter 31: Finding an Explanation

**A/N:** Thanks a million to my brilliant beta (and 'fiancee') GVSL. You are fantastic, dahling!

Please Read and Review!

**Chapter Thirty-One: Finding an Explanation**

Muffled voices.

That was the first thing Hermione heard as she slowly regained her senses. Everything seemed far too dark – like her mind had turned off completely and there was nothing around her but darkness. She wondered whether she was dead. Were the voices those she would be meeting in the afterlife? She listened harder, trying to identify the them.

Shifting slightly, she felt a sharp, unpleasant twist through her nerves. Her body ached. She frowned. Pain did not exist in death, or at least, that was what she assumed with the little she knew about death. The afterlife was supposed to be peaceful, not chaotic. But there she was and suddenly she seemed to be surrounded by chaos.

She concentrated on the voices again but they only caused her confusion to grow. They were too familiar. As she started to pick out the recognizable tones and pitches, she couldn't understand it. They were the voices of people she _knew_ to be alive. Harry. Ron. Sirius. Severus.

Dumbledore.

And suddenly, Hermione felt weight in her hand and realized it was being held. Another hand, equally as tender as the one holding hers, was stroking her hair. She was starting to feel the comfortable softness of the bed she lay in; the cool cotton of the gown that covered her skin. And the darkness – the penetrating darkness – was only the result of her own closed eyelids.

She pried her eyes open only to shut them again as her corneas were assaulted by bright white light. Her first thought was that perhaps she _was_ dead, and that light was the end of the tunnel. The weight in her hand, however, didn't disappear but tightened. She was suddenly aware of the gentle warmth on her face. Sunlight. The light that had attacked her retinas was sunlight. It was daylight. And she was very much alive.

Slowly, she attempted to open her eyes again and this time she was able to keep them open long enough to blink herself into a more reasonable state of consciousness. As the blurriness subsided, she was able to identify the outline of a face. It cleared and she saw the face's strong chin. Then a few premature wrinkles. Soft sandy-brown hair peppered with silver.

Stormy gray eyes.

"Remus?" she heard herself rasp and the hand that had been holding hers shook slightly as it squeezed around her.

"She's awake," his voice said, filled with relief. "Thank Merlin, she's awake."

Hermione felt the earth beneath her tremble furiously as the sound of thundering footsteps vibrated through her ears, getting closer, and all of a sudden Remus's face was swimming amidst a throng of bright red, jet black, and one distinctly-unique bubble gum pink.

"Hermione Jean Granger," a voice, coming from a fuzzy figure with messy black hair and glasses, said. "Don't you _ever_ do something like that again."

Hermione chuckled, wincing as she felt her chest constrict.

"Nice to see you too, Harry," she said. "And what is it that I'm meant to have done?"

Her vision was clearing completely now and the faces were becoming more distinct. Harry stood there, grinning like a madman at the sight of her, the bags under his eyes showing that he hadn't had much sleep. Every single Weasley she had ever met, looking at her with the type of familial pride she hadn't seen in awhile. Sirius, smiling gently down at her with apparent relief. Severus, his onyx eyes the softest she had ever seen them. Tonks, beaming with merriment that her friend and partner-in-crime was back.

Remus, looking down at her in unparalleled adoration.

Overcome with joy that her lover, her _husband_, was alive, Hermione ignored her protesting body as she launched herself at him. He held her tightly, stroking her hair as he whispered words of love into her ears. She sobbed on his shoulder, not caring who was in the room. He was there. She was holding him. She had her baby back.

"Remus Lupin!" Hermione heard the thoroughly agitated voice of the Hogwarts medi-witch cry. "What are you doing out of bed? All of you…honestly! Miss Granger needs her rest. Remus, right now…"

"Shut up, Poppy, and let me hold my wife."

The round of chuckles Hermione heard could only have come from what she assumed to be everyone's reaction to Madame Pomfrey's astonished face.

"I thought you were dead," Hermione whispered, pulling back slightly to look into his eyes as tears streamed from her own. "I thought Bellatrix…with that knife…"

He smiled, running the pads of his thumbs under her eyes to wipe the tears from her face.

"No," he said, kissing each eye gently. "No, it'll take more than a silver dagger to keep me from you."

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too, my little witch," he replied before catching her lips with his.

It was the first real kiss they had shared since their parting kiss in the foyer of Grimmauld Place two months earlier. The time had not subdued the burning embers that his kiss evoked within her. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed herself closer to him, ignoring the pain that shot through her body with every movement. It felt so good to be in his arms again, in the relative safety of Hogwarts, without a worry as to whether either of them would live or die in the next five seconds.

"Ahem," a voice said, and the two pulled away to see the Weasley twins looking very stern.

"I don't know whether you noticed, but there are several _other_ people crowded around this bed," Fred informed them.

"Some of whom have not slept in days for worry about your well-being, Miss Granger," George added, equally solemn.

"So perhaps a very public snog is not exactly appropriate?"

"Unless, of course, you plan on greeting the _rest_ of us in that manner."

"And in that case – "

" – carry on. We'll just time you to make sure everyone gets their fair share."

Remus chuckled slightly as Hermione glared at the now-grinning mischief-makers.

"How is it that you two always know how to ruin a perfectly lovely moment?" she asked, cuddling into Remus's arms.

"Sheer talent," George said, and Hermione couldn't help but laugh as both twins planted a kiss on each of her cheeks.

"You gave us all quite a fright, Hermione," Mr. Weasley said from his perch next to his wife at the foot of her bed. "We feared the worst when you and Tonks fell into Dumbledore's office."

"Luckily, Severus was able to heal your wound," Mrs. Weasley said, tears falling freely down her plump cheeks.

"You lost a lot of blood, though," Harry said. "Any longer and you would have been…well…I didn't want to think about that."

"Did…did everyone else make it back alright?" Hermione asked.

"Thanks to you," Bill said with a grin. "Mind you, Kingsley was about to explode when he came back without you. Said Sirius would have his guts for garters."

"I almost did," the animagus said. "What were you playing at, being the plucky heroine?" However, his gentle admonishment was accompanied by a sincere smile.

"You're just lucky that Dora here is as stubborn as you are," Ron said, his arm wrapped tightly around the grinning heart-shaped faced witch.

"Tonks," Hermione said, looking gratefully up at her friend. "Thank you."

Tonks' grin widened.

"Couldn't let you have _all_ the fun," she said brightly. "There was no way I was gonna leave you behind."

Hermione's light mood darkened slightly as she remembered the pale, lifeless face that had floated in front of her only hours earlier.

"Viktor," she said quietly. "He's dead, isn't he?"

"Yes, love," Remus said softly. "But from the look of things, there was nothing you could've done."

"He gave me his lucky charm," she said, pulling out the necklace that sat around her neck. "If he had kept it…"

"If he had kept it, _you_ would be the one meeting those in the afterlife," Snape said. "That galleon just happened to be right over your heart when the Dark Lord cast that spell. It deflected a lot of the force."

"I promised Mina I'd save him," Hermione said. "I failed her."

"You saved her life, 'Mione," Sirius said. "And the life of Viktor's child. She cannot fault you for that."

"It's all for the greater good, Miss Granger."

Dumbledore was at her side now, standing just behind Remus. His eyes were bright as he watched Remus's embrace tighten around her and he smiled as Remus kissed her head gently.

"Perhaps we should call you Mrs. Lupin now," Dumbledore said.

"It's not official yet," Remus reminded them all. "We may be bonded by our souls but it is not yet legal."

"A slight technicality, I assure you, Remus." Dumbledore replied.

"And one that better be taken care of soon," Ginny said, her petite frame elbowing past the height and muscles of her brothers. "You need to make an honest woman out of her, Remus."

"You're one to talk, Miss Weasley," Hermione said. "What with the way you and Harry go about."

There was a pause before everyone burst into laughter.

"What?" she asked, somewhat annoyed.

"You…you sound just like Mum!" Ron chortled, causing everyone, Mrs. Weasley included, to laugh even harder. Hermione shot a look to her traitorously chuckling husband but he only grinned, drawing her closer to him.

"There are worse people you could model your behavior off of," he said, casting the Weasley matriarch a kind look.

Hermione smiled.

"As long as you're not expecting seven children," she said, and everyone laughed harder as Remus blanched.

Hermione coughed then yawned which, of course, brought Madame Pomfrey running.

"All of you," she almost bellowed. "Out! Remus…" But the werewolf fixed her with such a dark look that she choked back her admonishment and allowed him to remain as she started to usher out Harry, Ron, and a protesting Ginny.

Sirius bent down and gently kissed Hermione's cheek.

"I'm glad you're safe," he whispered. "I don't know what I would have done if you weren't."

She smiled at him and as he started to walk away, she remembered something.

"Sirius?"

He turned to her.

"I love you too."

He looked at her for a long moment before smiling to himself and walking out.

Snape smiled slightly at her.

"I'm glad you're back, Hermione," he said, ignoring how Remus's eyebrows shot up into his bangs. "Potions isn't quite the same without the resident know-it-all answering all my questions."

She laughed.

"I missed you too, Severus."

With a nod to the now very confused werewolf, Snape swept out of the room.

Remus looked at Hermione.

"Clearly I missed a lot while I was away," he said dryly.

She chuckled.

"Remind me to fill you in when I'm less likely to fall asleep in the process."

He smiled, kissing her lightly on the nose.

"Get some sleep, my love," he whispered. "I'll be here when you wake up."

"But you…" She yawned. "You need to rest too."

He shook his head.

"_I'm not leaving your side again."_

Hermione frowned slightly. Even in her fatigued state, she knew Remus hadn't actually spoken those words aloud. But she had heard them, clear as day, as if he was speaking in her head. Looking into his eyes, she saw him smile.

"_Go to sleep,"_ his voice said soothingly in her head. _"I'll explain this when you wake up."_

Too tired to argue for an immediate answer, Hermione nodded and drifted off to sleep again.

***

"I have so many questions."

"I would have been worried if you didn't."

"I really don't know where to start."

"I don't doubt that either. Try to start at the beginning. I find that's always helpful."

A few days later, Hermione, wrapped in heavy blanket, found herself sitting next to Remus in Dumbledore's office drinking tea in the late afternoon. Against Madame Pomfrey's advice, Hermione had requested the private meeting with the headmaster, if only to stop herself from hexing the kind but infuriatingly-attentive medi-witch. Hermione was still weak from losing so much blood, but she was happy for the opportunity to leave the infirmary.

"Remus and I spoke about what happened that night," she started. "And I think what we're both wondering is how we each felt a surge of power when the other was unconscious. I mean," Hermione glanced at Remus. "I know Remus is very powerful, but he felled two Death Eaters wandlessly. That's…it's just…"

"I think the word she's looking for is 'impossible'," Remus said, an amused smile on his face as Hermione blushed. "With which I am inclined to agree."

Dumbledore nodded.

Miss Granger, are you aware of what those runes on your shoulder mean?" he asked.

"I…well…I haven't actually looked at them yet," Hermione admitted.

He nodded again, leaning forward.

"May I?" He motioned to her shoulder and she nodded, lowering the blanket and tugging aside the neckline of her shirt. Remus leaned over too, looking curiously as Dumbledore conjured a mirror for Hermione to see.

"This first one," Dumbledore said. "Is _Pethro_. It is the rune of fate, or of destiny. It refers to your destiny as soul mates. Its position as the first of the five runes signifies the importance you have to each other. You truly complete each other."

Hermione smiled at Remus, who wrapped his arm around her.

"The second rune," Dumbledore continued. "Is _Kenaz_. It is the rune of fire and physical passion. I hardly think I need to go into too much detail involving this one."

He smiled as both Remus and Hermione blushed.

"The one in the middle is the rune _Tiwaz_. It is the rune for justice, or balance. Its position as the center rune is very important, because it proves that you, as a couple, can balance your destiny – which is signified by your first two runes – with your responsibilities, which are signified by the last two runes."

"I've never seen those two runes before," Remus said, brushing his fingers over Hermione's shoulder and feeling a jolt run down his spine at the contact. He looked at Hermione, who was blushing furiously, and he realized the jolt had been _her_ jolt. He smirked slightly at the knowledge that he caused such an intense reaction from her.

"I haven't either," Hermione said, trying to focus herself as Remus's fingers slid lightly over the skin of her shoulder. "What do they mean?"

"The fourth one is _Gebo_. It means gifts, either given or born with. This means a lot of things with the two of you, as you have both been born with an extraordinary number of gifts. And whether you acknowledge it or not, Remus, you were given quite a gift with your lycanthropy."

"I'm glad _you_ think so," Remus murmured, trying to ignore the dull ache of his joints as the effects of the silver poisoning continued to plague him.

"I think so too," Hermione said, looking at him pointedly. "Mooney saved my life that night, Remus."

Remus smiled, nuzzling gently into her neck as he kissed her cheek. Dumbledore smiled.

"If you look very closely, you'll see that _Gebo_ is partially attached to the last rune. That rune is called _Ingwaz_, and it means power, especially in its state of increase. Standing alone, those two runes mean that you are both extremely powerful and intelligent magical beings individually, but connected it means that you two have the ability to transfer your power to the other. I believe _that_ is what happened that night. When Miss Granger became unconscious, she unknowingly transferred her power to you, Remus. And the same when Remus became unconscious. As you are both currently conscious, your powers were able to stabilize and now you can transfer willingly."

"What…what does that mean?" Hermione asked.

"It means that, in the case of great danger, one of you can protect the other with magic that is virtually unstoppable. You can produce stronger shields, exude more power, and accomplish advanced spells as though they are nothing. The large downside is that one of you will have to be completely powerless at the time, but the upside is that the one who isn't will be able to effectively protect you and anyone else who happens to be with you."

Remus and Hermione exchanged looks, and both thought the exact same thing.

_Harry_.

Dumbledore chuckled.

"Tell me a bit more about this telepathy you seem to have with each other," he said.

Remus glanced at Hermione.

"We can exchange thoughts. Sometimes it's accidental but I think we've been able to control it well enough to the point where we won't exchange anything that shouldn't be exchanged."

"_Like the fact that you're sexy when you're being academic,"_ Hermione's voice said in his head, and he looked at her to see her wearing a smirk as she avoided eye contact.

"_You just wait until we're all better, you sassy swot,"_ he replied, and he felt a wave of satisfaction as she blushed.

"Have there been other effects?" Dumbledore asked, and Remus had the odd feeling that the older man was feigning ignorance.

"There's an emotional connection," Hermione said. "An intimacy, if you will. We can feel each other, I suppose. And there's also a heightened sense of location awareness."

"Though we've barely been ten feet of each other in the past few days," Remus joked.

Dumbledore nodded.

"That, along with your power connection, will be quite useful to our work in the Order," he said. When he saw fear flicker in both their eyes, he smiled sadly. "This experience has proved, more than ever, the importance of our cause. You have seen the horrors that Lord Voldemort is capable of. You should know that you have the power to help Harry stop him."

"I just…I suppose we…at least, _I_…was hoping for more time," Hermione said.

Remus nodded in agreement, taking Hermione's hand and squeezing it.

"Well, Remus will resume his post of Defense professor, though because of his health I have asked Sirius to share his classes. Neither of you will be fully ready for missions for at least three months. You shall remain here to recover. You will have time to plan your wedding."

Hermione laughed.

"Everyone seems hell-bent on having us get married. We haven't even discussed it yet."

Dumbledore smiled.

"It is an inevitability. Especially since I am required to ask you to live together."

"What?" Remus asked, his eyes widening.

"While legally you remain unwed, magically you are bonded. That bond will require certain things of you and I can't have Miss Granger sneaking out of Gryffindor tower to see her true husband, can I?"

Hermione blushed slightly at Dumbledore's none-too-subtle intimation of their expected sex life. Remus, however, frowned.

"Won't that cause a lot of questions?" he asked.

Dumbledore smiled slightly.

"Remus, I do hope you remember where you are. This is Hogwarts. Everyone knows secrets don't exist in this building."

Hermione looked at Remus.

"I don't really mind people knowing," she said with a small smile. "After two months of listening to Parvati and Lavender talk about you as if _they_ were dating you, it will be nice to render them speechless."

He arched his eyebrow with a small smirk.

"_Jealous?"_ he asked through his thoughts.

"_Desperately,"_ she replied, her eyes shining with the adoration he loved so much.

Bidding the chuckling headmaster good-bye, the two walked in silence towards the infirmary, both lost in thoughts that they were consciously keeping from the other. Before they walked in, Hermione bracing herself for an earful from Madame Pomfrey, Remus stopped her.

"I know this is not the most ideal time," he said, not looking at her as he shoved his hand into his pocket. "But considering everything that's happened, I honestly don't think I could stand waiting any longer."

Hermione's eyes widened as she felt his nervousness and anxiety, somehow aware of what he was about to do as he cleared his throat, sinking to one knee and opening a small black jewelry box to reveal a small silver ring holding a single diamond. It wasn't big, but it was still beautiful and caught the flickering torchlight in the approaching dusk.

"Hermione Granger," he asked, his voice shaking slightly. "Will you marry me?"

Hermione looked from the ring to the wizard, trying to organize her flying thoughts into some semblance of coherence. Everything was happening so quickly. They hadn't even had the opportunity to talk about it. Her thoughts were swimming around so rapidly that she wasn't able to keep them from Remus and the first word that ran through her brain was a definitive one-word answer:

"_No."_

Hermione knew she hadn't said it out loud, but from the look of shock and dismay on Remus's face, she knew he had heard it.


	32. Chapter 32: When 'No' Means

**A/N:** Again, I was gearing up to hear the mutinous sounds of anger for the unforgivable delay on this chapter, but I was trying to figure out the best way to go about writing it - as it wasn't written when the inspired genius of the last one ended, lol. Anyway, my apologies.

If you're not a subscriber to my other story, _Playing the Players_, just a quick update: I have a fan fic Twitter now, which means if you subscribe to me, you can get daily (or bi-daily) updates on how the updating process is going. I DO update my Twitter, and you can also send me a quick response about how I should be getting my butt in gear so you don't go another 2 weeks without an update. THE URL IS ON MY PROFILE, where it says 'Homepage'.

That said, a couple of things I'd like to clarify - 1.) I know it's 'Moony' and not 'Mooney' but when I started this fic I didn't know (because I hadn't read the books in [insert inappropriately long time here] and didn't remember how it was spelled) and for continuity reasons I just continued to write it that way. If you look at ALL the other fics I have up here, it's spelled correctly. 2.) There was one review that made me go "Oh yeah, I should probably explain that" - Hermione's engagement ring. Yes, it's silver. No, I didn't mean gold or platinum. In my head (and my story) silver is only dangerous to Remus in large, pure doses and it is exposed to his bloodstream. If you'll remember way back in Chapter 17, Remus gives her the family heirloom necklace which is ALSO silver.

THANKS TO MY AWESOME BETA! LOVE YOU AMY!

SO...there you go. READ AND REVIEW, PLEASE!!

**Chapter Thirty-Two: When 'No' Means…**

"Yes."

Remus blinked. He was so sure he had heard her say 'no'. Well, maybe not _said_ 'no', but she definitely thought it. But there she was, trying to force a smile as her full lips responded in the affirmative. His brow furrowed. What did it mean, her head saying one thing but her lips saying another?

"Hermione…are you sure?" he asked warily, unsure if he wanted to hear her answer.

"Yes," she said firmly.

"_No,"_ her inner voice repeated, just as firm.

Remus stood up, feeling ridiculous stooped on the floor, and looked at her confusedly.

"Hermione…"

"Remus, nothing would make me happier than marrying you."

"_Liar."_

"Hermione, you're giving me two different answers."

"I want to marry you, Remus."

"_No you don't."_

"My answer is yes."

"_No it isn't."_

"I love you with all my heart."

"_True, but you're still scared to death."_

"Why are you scared to death?" Remus asked wearily, choosing to listen to the unfiltered voice of doubt.

"I'm not!"

"_You __are__."_

"Hermione," Remus said sternly, running his hand over his face in frustration. "Spare me this on-coming headache and just be honest, alright?"

Hermione paused, unsure, before sighing.

"I _do_ want to marry you. It's just…this is all happening so fast and it's not like we're not _already_ married. I mean…we haven't even talked about it."

Remus paused, waiting for any additional information her inner monologue wanted to add, but whether it agreed or she was able to harness enough power to practice Occlumency, he heard nothing more from his mate's brain.

"Is this about Sirius?" he asked softly, not wanting to acknowledge that her ex-lover and his best friend might have some bearing upon the situation.

"No," she said.

"_Maybe a little."_

"Hermione!" Remus growled, starting to lose his temper as his inner wolf started to stir in possessive jealousy.

"Ok, it has a little to do with Sirius. And Ron. And Harry. And any other man I happen to be close to. It's the fact that by marrying you, I'm being legally claimed. Marriage seems like a very official, frustratingly old-fashioned form of ownership."

"I would _never_ seek to deter you from anything!" Remus said, his temper flaring.

"_Except perhaps ever seeing Sirius again,"_ his treacherous mind stated angrily and he knew from the way her eyes flashed that she had heard him.

"See?" she said accusingly. "I didn't want the old-fashioned possessiveness to kick in."

"I'm not being possessive," he said defensively.

"_You're already mine,"_ his brain said hotly.

"I don't _belong_ to anyone!" she snapped. "You or Mooney or anyone else."

"I _know_ that," he replied. "And just because I want to marry you doesn't mean I want to whisk you away from your ambitions."

"_Unless your ambitions include other men."_

"My ambitions do _not_ include other men!"

"_And I couldn't even if I wanted to,"_ her brain added.

"So you might want to?" he asked forcefully, feeling Mooney rage enviously. "Do you _resent_ being marked? Because I _warned_ you…"

"Don't be an idiot! Of _course_ I don't resent it. This has nothing to _do_ with the marking. Marriage and marking are two different things. One is a true symbol of love and devotion. The other is a stupid social practice."

"I thought you wanted that."

"I do! Just…" She trailed off before sighing, defeated. "Remus, you need to at least meet my parents first. My father will want you to ask his permission."

"_Now_ who's being old-fashioned?"

Hermione's temper flared up, and she took a menacing step toward him.

"Remus John Lupin, I _want_ to marry you!"

"Then say 'yes'!"

"YES!"

She grabbed the ring from his hand and slipped it on her finger without another word.

A moment of silence passed before he heard her brain murmur:

"_He did well with that ring, didn't he?"_

Remus couldn't help the small smirk that appeared on his face.

"So that's a 'yes'?" he asked.

She smiled slightly.

"Was there any doubt?"

He laughed, pulling her into his arms.

"This thought connection is going to be the death of me," he whispered into her hair.

"I'm a woman. We're indecisive by nature. Get used to it."

He chuckled, running his hand through her unruly curls as he gazed into her twinkling hazel eyes.

"You don't really want Sirius, do you?" he asked softly.

She smirked.

"Only on the weekends."

He growled and she laughed.

"You silly werewolf," she said, tapping his nose lightly with her finger. "You already know I'm yours."

"But you don't _belong_ to anyone," he teased.

"Shut up and kiss me before I change my mind again."

Wrapping his arms around her he brought his lips to hers in a deep, passion-filled kiss. She melted into his body, clinging to him as love and desire pulsed through her. She had almost forgotten what it was like, to love this man and want him more than anything in the world. She had almost forgotten the heat that spread like wildfire through her veins, his kisses rendering her breathless but feeling no compulsion for air. Her aches were gone in his arms. There was no pain; only passion.

"Ahem," a voice said loudly and they pulled apart to see Sirius looking at them with something akin to amusement in his eyes.

"Looks like I'm going to have to keep my eye on you two," he teased. "You're almost as bad as Harry and Ginny. Yesterday I found them behind a tapestry in the trophy room."

Hermione chuckled, but Remus's eyes were locked on his best friend. Hearing the thoughts of jealousy that were running through his head with little to no coherence, Hermione sighed, hitting him reproachfully on the shoulder.

"Stop that," she said. "I already said 'yes'. That should be enough."

Sirius smiled slightly.

"You finally popped the question, eh Mooney?"

Seeing the sincerity in Sirius's eyes, Remus smiled somewhat sheepishly.

"Yes."

"Did she like the ring?"

"Yes."

"Didn't I tell you?"

"Yes."

"Simple. That's what I said."

"Yes."

"Oi! French and Saunders," Hermione said, waving her hand between the two men. "Sirius, you _knew_ about this?"

He scoffed.

"'Course I knew. Who d'you think told him to do it?"

She arched an eyebrow.

"Really?"

He smiled slightly.

"I'm not a fool, Hermione. Even _I_ know what those runes on your shoulder symbolize. You're meant for each other."

Hermione felt a surge of friendly affection rush through her.

"Thank you, Sirius," she said.

"You're welcome," he replied before heading toward the infirmary.

"Um…Padfoot?" Remus asked in slight amusement.

"Yes, Mooney?"

"Who, pray tell, are you going into the infirmary to see, as both 'Mione and I are standing out here?"

Sirius arched an eyebrow.

"Bit full of ourselves, aren't we? You two aren't the only ones who are injured you know."

"Yes, but Charlie's still fading in and out of consciousness and the only other person in there is Mina…"

An odd look of comprehension crossed her face and she tilted her head to the side quizzically.

"This…wouldn't have anything to do with Mina, would it?"

"Actually, yes, but not in the way you think," Sirius replied. "Dumbledore's asked me to allow Mina to live at Grimmauld Place for while until she's had the baby and decides what she wants to do."

Remus arched his eyebrow.

"And you're alright with that? You usually hate having guests in the house that aren't your friends."

Sirius shrugged.

"She needs help right now. Who am I to deny her?"

Hermione smiled slightly.

"She's very attractive, Sirius," she said casually.

Remus chuckled.

"Yeah, Padfoot…admit it. You're not being completely altruistic about allowing her to stay."

"Listen, you two," Sirius said sternly. "The woman is pregnant and has just lost her husband. I don't think romantic attachments are currently in her sights at the moment."

Hermione's grin faltered slightly as she was once more reminded of Viktor's lifeless form, the spark gone forever from his beautiful onyx eyes. Sirius saw this and his look softened.

"It's not your fault, love," he said as Remus held her comfortingly. "You did all you could for him and risked your own life to get him back here."

"But I _promised_ her," Hermione said. "She must hate me."

"She doesn't. In fact, she credits you for saving her life. There are going to be more battles and more losses, 'Mione. You have to stop beating yourself up about it."

She smiled slightly at him.

"The guilt keeps me going," she said.

Sirius returned her small smile with an empathetic nod of acknowledgment before walking wordlessly into the infirmary. Remus looked down at his fiancée, smiling slightly at the look of adorable contemplation on her face.

"What's going on in that beautiful brain of yours?"

She grinned.

"As if you have to ask."

He chuckled, sitting in one of the plush chairs outside the ward and pulling her gracelessly down onto his lap.

"I don't think I ever told you how much I missed you," he whispered, his lips brushing against her neck as he spoke and smirking as a jolt of desire shot through both their bodies.

"What have you missed about me?" she asked playfully, running her fingers lovingly through his hair as her arms coiled around his neck.

"Where to start!" he exclaimed, kissing her forehead. "I've missed your wild curls, and how silky they feel on my skin." He twisted a curl absently around his index finger. "I've missed your big, hazel eyes gazing at me with unrestrained affection." He dropped a kiss on each eyelid. "I've missed how you bite your lip while you're thinking, and how your cheeks flush when you're excited or angry. I've missed your lovely laugh, and your bright smile."

He brushed the back of his hand over her cheek.

"And I've missed how your body responds to me; how you arch into me with unbridled passion when I make love to you," he whispered quietly, feeling the shiver pass down her spine.

She blushed, pulling back slightly to look into his eyes and he grinned.

"_I've missed your nails running down my back when I make you cum,"_ he thought.

She let out a breath as those words filtered through his head and he watched her eyes darken lustfully. She turned to him, straddling his hips as she kissed him passionately. He groaned, taking the blanket that had been wrapped loosely around her shoulders and pulling it tighter, trying to hide the slight undulation of her hips on his. They had forgotten everything around them, allowing their bodies to mold together as they slowly rekindled the smoldering embers of sexual fire that burned between them. Their bond had intensified their desires and Remus wasn't sure how much longer he could stand being so close to her warm, willing body without burying himself inside her once more.

"Hermione?"

The two pulled away from each other and Hermione turned to see the stunned and speechless faces of Lavender and Parvati. Remus glanced up at Hermione but she made no move to leave his embrace. Also turning to the girls, he saw their eyes widen as they got a good look at who exactly the prim and proper Head Girl was snogging.

"Pro…Professor Lupin?" Parvati stuttered, the books she had been carrying dropping from her arms at the shock.

"You two…are together?" Lavender squeaked.

"It would appear so," Hermione said mildly, though Remus didn't miss the triumphant glint in her eye nor the tiny smile she was biting back as her friends continued to stare agog.

"_Now__ who's being possessive?"_ his brain teased.

Lips pursed, she didn't look at him, but he heard her say:

"_Do you want to have sex __ever__ again?"_

"_Don't punish yourself for my folly,"_ he replied smartly.

He didn't miss the small smirk on her face.

"_I could always go to Sirius…"_

"Oi! You two! Madame Pomfrey's pitching a fit," a voice interrupted and the four turned to see Ron at the door glaring at Hermione and Remus, completely unfazed by their intimate embrace. "Charlie's awake and he's about to hex her because she has no one else to fuss over."

"We'll be right in, Ron," Hermione said, and he nodded before disappearing back inside the wing.

Hermione turned to Parvati and Lavender.

"Do you need to see the nurse?" she asked them.

"Er…no," Parvati said, finding her voice quickly and stooping down to pick up the fallen books. "No, we're here to see you."

"Alright," she said. "Give me a moment."

She looked at Remus and noticed the faint blush on his cheeks. Frowning slightly, she tilted her head to look at him but he flicked his eyes downward and she realized that she was perched upon a rather large problem.

"_Thestrals,"_ she heard him think, uncaring to the fact that she could hear every word that passed through his head. _"Cold water…exploding toilets…the portrait of the Fat Lady singing…"_

"_Dolores Umbridge naked on a cold day,"_ she thought amusedly and from the look of pure disgust that crossed his face, she knew he was thinking about it. Though she was sure he was scarred by the thought, the terrifying mental image nonetheless helped immensely.

"Thank you," he said quietly as she stood, allowing him to stand as well. "Though I could have done without that picture in my head."

She smirked, wrapping the blanket around her body as she leaned up and kissed his cheek.

"Always happy to help," she said and he chuckled at the gleam in her eye.

"I'll go deal with Poppy," he said, kissing her nose. "Miss Brown and Miss Patil seem to have much to say to you."

"Why do I feel like you're getting the better end of the deal?" she whispered and he chuckled, shooting her a smile before disappearing through the doors.

She sauntered casually over to her friends.

"So…you wanted to see me?"

"Er…yes. Professor McGonagall asked us to bring you your books so Harry and Ron could fill you in on the lessons you missed," Parvati said.

"Oh. Thank you," Hermione replied, taking the books from her.

"So, you and Professor Lupin?" Lavender finally said and Hermione couldn't help but smirk inwardly at the envious tone. "Explains why he suddenly has a girlfriend at the same time you suddenly have a secret boyfriend."

"Aren't you worried about what Dumbledore will say, 'Mione?" Parvati asked softly.

"Dumbledore knows," Hermione replied. "And he approves. Listen," She pulled the blanket around her tighter, Remus's absence and the cool air making her weaker and more exhausted. "We're not going to have any problems, are we?"

Though she was directing the question to both of them, her eyes were focused on Lavender. Neither said anything for a moment and as she followed their gaze, she saw them focused on the ring on her hand.

"You're engaged," Parvati stated.

"Yes," Hermione replied. "Only just."

Lavender was pouting, having crossed and re-crossed her arms three times in the past five minutes.

Parvati sighed.

"I don't think you can fault us for being somewhat surprised. I mean, you're the absolute _last_ person we would expect to have a secret relationship with a professor. But if you're happy, 'Mione, then as your friends, we're happy too."

She nudged Lavender, who rolled her eyes.

"Yes, fine. We're happy for you," she said tonelessly.

"Your sincerity is touching, Lavender," Hermione said dryly.

"Yes, well…"

"Hermione Granger, get your gorgeous ass in here and control your husband!" Sirius's voice echoed down the hall and the three turned to see the handsome Marauder leaning out of the infirmary door, his silver-blue eyes bright with amusement.

"What's going on?" Hermione asked.

"He's refusing to take his dreamless sleep potion."

Hermione sighed.

"_Why aren't you taking the potion, love?"_ she thought.

"_I'm not going to sleep without you next to me,"_ came the childish reply.

Smiling to herself, Hermione looked at Sirius.

"Tell him I'll be in in a minute."

Knowing she could have just as easily told him herself, Sirius shot her a glare before popping his head back into the room.

Lavender frowned slightly.

"Husband? But I thought…"

"Long story. I've got to go now. Thanks for the books. I don't suppose it'll do any good to ask you to keep this quiet for now?"

"Honestly?" Lavender replied. "Who'd believe us?"

Nodding, Hermione turned and walked back toward the ward.

"You are a big baby, you know that?" she announced as she walked towards Remus's bed. He was lying barefoot, his hands casually clasped and sitting on his bare stomach. He had been looking resolutely at the ceiling, his lips comically clamped shut. As she approached him, however, he looked at her with a broad smile.

"You love me," he replied, taking the edge of her blanket and tugging her down next to him. She squirmed, trying to get comfortable in the small amount of space.

"There's not enough room for the two of us, darling," she said as she felt her hip balance precariously next to the edge of the bed.

"Are you a witch or what?" he asked playfully, waving his wand and she felt the bed enlarge to a more comfortable size beneath them.

She chuckled as he wrapped himself around her completely, burying his head in her hair.

"I don't think Madame Pomfrey will approve," she whispered.

"Tough," came the muffled reply.

She smiled, stroking his hair as she felt his body relax. Just as she was ready to drift off herself, however, she was disturbed by a gasp of shock followed by a cry of indignation.

"Miss Granger! What are you doing? Get out of that bed at once!" Madam Pomfrey exclaimed.

Hermione made to move, deciding it was best to mind the startled medi-witch than risk her wrath, but Remus's arm curled tighter around her, drawing her back and effectively pinning her next to him.

"You told me to sleep, Poppy," his voice, still muffled by Hermione's hair, sounded. "Leave us be."

"Remus, I'm a patient woman, but I _cannot_ abide…"

"Poppy," Mrs. Weasley said from her perch next to Charlie's bed. "Leave them be. They've just been on the brink of death. Let them have each other."

She cast Hermione a wink, smiling before turning her attention back to the pale redhead who seemed to have drifted off to sleep again. Watching Madame Pomfrey throw her hands in the air in resignation and walk into her office, Hermione smiled, and snuggled closer to her mate.


	33. Chapter 33: What Happens in the

**A/N:** Alright...bring on the howlers! I know it's been an unforgivably long time since an update (well, unforgivable for ME) so I figured I would just acknowledge that here. But the good news is that I'm already writing the upcoming chapters so HOPEFULLY the updates will not be so far apart!

Also...as some of you might know, I have paired up with my uber-fabulous, uber-sexy, awesome beta _Grande Vanille Skim Latte_ to write some wonderfully smutty stories together. We are called _The Golden Duo 22_, the link to which you will be able to find on my author's profile. We have 2 stories up so far: a RemusHermioneSirius oneshot called _For the Love of Nargles_ and a FredHermioneGeorge oneshot called _Poorly Laid Plans_. If you get a chance, stop by and check them both out!

Finally, I cannot say this enough, but Amy, have I mentioned how much I love you? Thanks for being such an awesome beta!

ENJOY!

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Three: What Happens in the Prefects' Bathroom…**

"All done!" Hermione said happily as she set down Crookshanks' cat carrier in Remus's rooms and allowed the indignant feline to peruse his new domain.

"Yeah, considering you did the lion's share of the work," George grumbled as he and Fred carried her trunk into the room.

"Was it difficult, Granger, bringing the bloody cat down?" Fred agreed, huffing slightly as they heaved the trunk against the wall.

"Oh, stop complaining, you two. It's not like it was that far," Hermione gently scolded as she set the now-empty cat carrier in the corner.

"Not like it was...Lupin, mate, please explain to your dozy wife that your rooms are on the other side of the bloody castle!" George exclaimed, collapsing in synch with his twin on the soft gray sofa.

"Why is that, by the way?" Fred asked. "I thought you would have liked being closer to Gryffindor tower."

"I like the quiet, and if memory serves, Gryffindor is not known for its studious tenants. And Hermione isn't dozy. It's your own fault for leaving your wands in the infirmary," Remus replied, wrapping his arm around Hermione's waist protectively.

"We would have been fine going back for them, only _someone_ wouldn't let us," Fred explained, shooting the smirking witch a pointed look.

"Yeah. Said it was character-building," George scoffed, rubbing his tired biceps.

"She wouldn't even let us call Dobby or the other house elves for help," Fred added as he let his head fall back.

"I already told you...they have enough to do looking after a bloody great big castle without being summoned to do something you two are fully capable of doing. Besides, you don't see Harry and Ron complaining," she pointed out as her two best friends sauntered through the door, whistling as they tossed their shrunken boxes up and down in their hands before setting them down on top of the trunk and re-sizing them to their proper state.

"You gits!" George cried. "You had your wands all along! You could have shrunk down the trunk for us, or at least levitated it!"

"You saw us struggling!" Fred accused.

Harry smirked.

"Sorry, mates, but it was just too fun to watch you suffer," he said.

Fred narrowed his eyes.

"You just wait until we have our wands back, Potter," he said.

"Yeah," George added darkly. "And rumor has it you're quite fond of our sister. Best tread softly, mate."

"Oh, shove off, you two," Ron said, patting Harry's shoulder. "Come on, Harry, let's go find Ginny and Dora."

Both boys grinned broadly at an amused Hermione and Remus before starting for the door.

"One day, Potter, you won't have Ronniekins to hide behind," George called in an eerily dead-on Malfoy impersonation.

"And when that day comes, we'll be ready," Fred said.

Harry's sarcastic scoff was heard as Ron closed the door behind them.

Hermione gave the twins a look.

"That boy has Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort after him. What makes you two think you're any more of a threat?"

"Ah," said Fred. "We've got an ace in the hole, you see."

"Ginny looks up to her older brothers," George explained.

"So if he wants to marry her - "

" - which we're assured he does - "

"Then naturally, she's going to ask us."

"And if his attitude doesn't change - "

" - we might suggest that she tell him to bugger off."

Remus chuckled as Hermione rolled her eyes.

"I think you boys are seriously underestimating the power of Ginny's independent mind," he said.

Hermione nodded in agreement.

"She'll tell you to shove your suggestions so far up your..."

"Now now, Granger," Fred interrupted. "Language."

"We wouldn't want the Head Girl giving off the wrong impression, would we?" George teased.

Hermione rolled her eyes again.

"Don't you two have somewhere else to be? Small children to terrorize? Havoc to wreak on the unsuspecting public?" she asked.

"All noble causes indeed, but alas we are too tired," Fred said mildly, once again letting his head fall back against the sofa.

"Havoc shall have to be wrought without us," George agreed, mimicking his twin's actions.

Remus and Hermione exchanged a look.

"Boys," Remus said gently. "Might I remind you that you're in our rooms?"

"Yes," George said, still not moving. "And it is awfully hospitable of you, Lupin."

Remus sighed, looking helplessly at Hermione. She, however, suddenly had a wicked glint in her eye.

"That's alright, darling," she said with an all-too-innocent lilt. "They're just resting before they help me unpack."

Remus laughed hysterically as the twins made a dash from the sofa to the door in a blur of fiery-red hair.

Hermione smiled as the door clicked shut.

"Much better," she said before sitting on the piece of vacated furniture and curling her legs beneath her.

Remus made to sit next to her, but she stopped him.

"I have dust and cat hair all over me, so you probably don't want to be too close."

His lip twitched in a small smile.

"I'm not worried about a little dust and cat hair, love."

She moved slightly to give him room and he sat next to her, drawing her close. He went to kiss her head and chuckled slightly as he plucked a dust bunny from her wild curls.

"I told you," she said mournfully, tossing her hair to rid her hair of any more dust before trying in vain to smooth it down. "Crookshanks was hiding under the bed. He was very cross with me for leaving him so long. I don't think Harry and Ron took very good care of him while I was away." Then she sighed. "I should have a bath."

Remus chuckled.

"No one's stopping you, love."

She sighed again, glancing at her trunk.

"All of my bath things are in my locker in the prefects' bathroom," she said.

A small smile crossed Remus's face.

"It's been awhile since I've been in the prefects' bathroom," he said. "We used to have great fun in there when I was in school. Does it still have that portrait of the mermaid sunning herself?"

"Yes, and what type of fun, Mr. Lupin?" Hermione asked, her eyes narrowing playfully.

He grinned.

"Let's just say that thanks to the Marauders, the prefects' bathroom was also known in those days as the 'Lovers' Grotto'." Her eyes went wide and Remus wrapped his arms around her with a smirk. "Do you want me to give you a personal tour and perhaps a small demonstration of how it got its nickname?"

He could see the emotions running over her face and could feel them through his body. She was trying to decide whether to reprimand him for his semi-lecherous behavior twenty years prior or be incredibly turned on by his offer of partially-public debauchery in the prefects' bathroom.

In the end, she went with being aroused by his offer. After all, she was only human, and the idea of his long, lean body pressed passionately against hers while surrounded by gently-lapping water was starting to overwhelm her undersexed libido.

Chuckling, Remus pulled her up off the couch and led her out of the room to the corridors. Dumbledore had suggested that they move Hermione's things while the rest of the school was enjoying the sudden, spontaneous Hogsmeade weekend on what was turning out to be one of the first warm weekends of the slowly-approaching spring.

Remus knew it was ridiculous, but he sometimes wondered if Dumbledore's powers extended to influencing the weather.

"_Do you realize it's been three months since we've truly been alone together?"_ he heard Hermione think, her voice drifting through her mind.

"_Surely it hasn't been only three?"_ he asked her, opting to continue the conversation through their thoughts in case they ran across some curious, eavesdropping students. _"It's felt like an eternity longer."_

He saw her smile slightly.

"_Do you remember the last time we had a bath together?"_

Remus swallowed hard. Of _course_ he remembered. They had just managed to get out of bed without falling back in a heap of tangled limbs to make passionate love again. She had drawn the bath, putting a small amount of soothing salts and bubbles in before they lowered themselves into the hot water. They spoke in low voices, enjoying the intimacy, before she had turned in his arms, her eyes burning as she swung her legs on either side of his. No words had been spoken as they had kissed, slowly making love in the water. It was the single most erotic moment in his life, mixed with the passion that sprang naturally between them, and intimacy.

They walked in silence for a few moments, lost in their own thoughts as they rounded several corners. Once they rounded the last bend and entered the corridor that held the prefects' bathroom, Remus felt an odd anticipation burn within him. It took him a second before he realized it wasn't his emotion. Glancing at his mate as they walked, Remus saw a small smirk start to cross her face and with the way she was purposely trying to keep her thoughts private, he couldn't help his curiosity starting to get the better of him. Catching her arm, he stopped her in the middle of the hallway, turning her to him.

"What?" he asked aloud.

She bit her lip with a small smile, glancing around them covertly to make sure they were alone before taking a step closer to him, pressing her palms against his chest. He suppressed a groan as he felt how heated her skin felt.

"I was just imagining how _good_ your body's going to feel pressed against mine after three months of being apart," she whispered. "And how gorgeous you'll look as you thrust into me; the water moving around us as I come apart in your arms."

His jaw had gone somewhat slack with her words and she grinned wickedly as she pulled away, flouncing down the hallway and stopping in front of the portrait.

"Bubble bath," she said to it, and the portrait swung open. She looked at Remus with an arched eyebrow. "Are you coming, _professor_," she asked, the lilt in her voice sending a thrill straight to his cock.

Growling, he followed her in, grabbing her as the portrait slid shut behind them and claiming her mouth in a hot, searing kiss. She groaned, melting into him as she wrapped her arms around his neck and allowed him to lift her into his arms. He pressed her against the nearest surface - a wall - and moaned in her mouth as she wrapped her legs around his waist, his weight settling against her heated center.

His hands were up her shirt, dancing across her beautiful satin skin to the breasts that had been torturing him for days when they heard the sound of a muffled scream behind them and a strong, stern "_Ahem!_"

Fear gripping him, Remus tore himself from Hermione's lips and jumped backwards. Hermione, however, wasn't prepared for the abrupt movement and, being so intimately wrapped around her lover, shrieked as she clung to him once her back left the wall with the unexpected rapidity. Losing balance on what they now realized was a decidedly-damp tile floor, the two fell with a 'thump' to the ground, Remus wincing slightly as Hermione fell on top of him.

Glancing in the direction of the scream, Hermione felt her heart calm considerably and a bubble of laughter threaten to burst. Sitting in the large pool were two figures, one whose bare body was flushed to the exact same color as her hair while the other, whose arms were wrapped possessively around his naked girlfriend, was glaring at them, though his color resembled something like an untidy black-haired tomato.

"Do you mind?" Harry asked, his arms tightening as Ginny curled into him, trying to bury her mortified face in his neck.

"Er..." Remus said, standing and helping Hermione to her feet as he tried to hide his own laughter. "Great minds think alike, I suppose."

Hermione didn't think it possible, but she was certain Ginny's blush deepened.

"Could you two...erm..._leave_?" Harry asked, unable to maintain the indignant eye contact with them.

"Yes, sorry," Hermione said, her lip twitching.

"And not a word that this happened to anyone!" Harry shouted as Hermione dragged Remus out of the bathroom.

Once they were in the hallway and the portrait had slammed shut, Remus and Hermione burst into fits of laughter. Glancing at the portrait again, the laughter kept coming and they laughed all the way back to their rooms, collapsing upon the sofa once more as the laughs slowly started to subside.

Remus chuckled, his eyes bright.

"That boy is getting to be more and more like his father by the day," he said.

"Oh? Did James get caught in a compromising position in the prefects' bathroom too?" Hermione asked amusedly.

"Several times. With Lily. Luckily, it was always one of us who caught them. Eventually, James just gave Sirius his invisibility cloak and told him to stand guard."

Hermione laughed again before letting out a sigh.

"Now we're back where we started. I _still_ need a bath and my things are _still_ in the prefects' bathroom."

Remus grinned, running his fingers down her arm to pick up her hand and bring it to his lips.

"You know," he said softly, his eyes never leaving hers as he brushed his lips over her skin. "I have a bathroom." He kissed down her open palm. "And I have soap." He flicked his tongue over the pulse point on her wrist. "And I am more than willing to wash your back for you."

Her eyes burned brightly.

"You know, that last time we had a bath together, we didn't get very clean," she breathed.

"True," he replied, leaning in closer. "But it was an experience that is worth repeating."

She groaned before catching his lips in a sweet, lingering kiss before pulling away.

"I'll go draw a bath."

She stood and he swatted her playfully on the backside. She glanced back at him with a small smirk before sashaying over to the bedroom, pulling her t-shirt off in the process and dropping it in the doorway before rounding the corner out of sight.

Remus was about to get up and join her when there was a knock at the door. Debating over whether or not to answer it, he figured it could be something important so he walked over, opening it.

Sirius charged in, knocking the door smartly in Remus's face in the process.

"Why come in, Sirius," Remus muttered redundantly as he rubbed his nose, closing the door and turning to see his best friend making himself comfortable on the sofa.

"Bloody hell, this castle can be boring on the weekends," he said. "Where's 'Mione?"

"Bath," Remus said simply.

"Oh. Will she be long? Kingsley's sent an envelope over to each of us that went to Romania and he's asked me to deliver hers."

"What's in it?" Remus asked.

"Well, I think…"

But Sirius's voice was drowned out by Hermione's voice in his head.

"_Bath's drawn and I'm waiting…completely naked…"_

Remus felt a growl leave his throat and tried to cover it up by feigning a coughing fit.

"You alright, mate?" Sirius asked.

"Yes, fine," Remus replied.

"_Hmm…maybe I should start without you…"_

"You sure, Mooney? You're looking pale."

"Sirius, I'm fine."

"_Oh…the water feels so good on my skin…"_

"Honestly, Mooney, you're looking really…are you blushing?"

But Remus was no longer paying attention to anything outside the monologue that was running through his mind.

"_The water feels so good, Remus…the only thing that would make it better would be your hands on my body. Remember how __amazing__ that bath was? I remember how you felt inside me…so strong as we made love…the water lapping gently against my skin and your hands running over me as though I was the most precious thing you could ever have possessed. And you did possess me that night, Remus. That night and every night since. I touch myself to the thought of your hands on me…I missed it so much…but I remember every moment of it. Do you? Do you remember what it felt like to be inside me, making love to me…watching me writhe against you as you gave me such pleasure? Oh, I want you so bad, Remus, please…"_

"Mooney?"

Remus shook himself from his thoughts, registering Sirius's worried presence directly in front of him as the animagus passed his hand in front of his friend's face, snapping him back to reality. He had enjoyed his little journey into the steamy bathroom with his waiting lover, but the reality of the situation was that he was very much clothed, albeit with a raging erection, standing in the center of his rooms with his uncharacteristically-thickheaded best friend standing in front of him, looking at him in concern.

"Seriously, man, you just zoned out and I'm starting to get really worried…"

"Sirius," Remus growled. "For the love of _God_…leave for at _least_ an hour."

"What? Why on earth…oh…" Comprehension started to dawn and he smirked. "Hermione's in the _bath_…"

"_Leave!_" Remus almost shouted.

Sirius chuckled.

"Alright, alright. I'll leave Hermione's envelope on the table for her. I swear, you two…"

"_Sirius!_"

"I'm going! I'm going." And with a final knowing smirk, he left.

Remus nearly ran to the bathroom.

He froze, transfixed, when he got to the door. Hermione was rinsing suds from her hair, but his heart raced at the simple action. The clear water tipped from the cup that she was using to rinse, a stream of water flowing over her head as tiny droplets fell over her face, sliding over her slightly-parted full lips and down that beautiful ivory neck. He groaned as she shook her clean hair slightly before running a reverent finger over his mark on her shoulder.

"What took you so long?" she asked, not looking at him as she leaned back in the tub, lifting a long leg out before dipping it back in the water.

"Sirius came by," he said, starting to disrobe as quickly as possible. "Had to kick him out."

"You didn't ask him to join us?" she asked mildly, glancing at him with an innocence that was belied by the mischievous gleam in her eyes.

He growled again as he stepped into the bath, sliding in behind her.

"You're lucky I know you're joking," he mumbled in her ear as she leaned back into his body.

"_Am I joking?"_ her voice said in his head.

"You better be," he murmured aloud, lowering his head to gently press his lips to her damp shoulder, his tongue laving the runic tattoo that sat there.

She shivered.

"God I've missed you," she whispered, letting her arms reach back to encircle his neck. "It's been so long…"

He tilted her head back, catching her lips as his hands ran up her sides, caressing her skin before cupping her breasts gently, the pads of his thumbs circling her nipples as she moaned in his lips. Her moans shot straight through his body and he gasped as her firm backside grazed against his erection.

"Baby," he breathed. "I don't know…"

"It's okay," she said, turning to straddle his legs. "I've needed you inside me for so long, I don't think I could wait either."

She lifted her body up over his, gasping as he leaned in and licked a straining nipple. As she lowered herself onto him, they both let out breathless moans, Hermione whipping her head back as he inched, with torturous slowness, further into her body. They both sighed when their hips settled against each other.

Remus let out a hiss at the feeling of being buried within this witch. He had not forgotten just how good it felt to be sheathed within her tight body – the memories of which had kept him sane in the past three decidedly testosterone-filled months.

But his memories paled in comparison to the reality.

Their bond had heightened their reactions to each other – had hand noticed it the evening he had proposed – but being inside her suddenly felt so _right_. Like there was no place on earth he would rather be than wrapped in her arms.

"Oh Remus," she gasped, locking eyes with him and watching, spellbound, as the stormy gray lightened slightly to an astonishing blend of silver and amber.

She rolled her body, gripping his shoulders as sparks went shooting across her skin. He groaned, his grip on her hips tightening as they moved together for the first time since their bond. The hot water formed steam around them, and Hermione had to admit there was something highly erotic about making love to him while steam was hanging in the air around them.

"_Metaphorically accurate, this steam,"_ was her last breathless thought before the pleasure took away coherence.

Remus leaned forward and kissed her, drinking from her as their bodies thrummed with pleasure and a level of sexual energy that sped through their nerve endings, fraying them to the point of ultimate sensitivity. The water stimulated these nerves, their skin burning red hot as Hermione moved her hips faster.

The water started to spill over the edges, but neither of them cared.

"God…" Remus groaned, burying his face in her neck as he felt his body pushing toward that moment when his entire world would come crashing to a nirvana of pure, unadulterated pleasure.

"I'm so close…oh fuck…" she whimpered, twisting her hips and feeling a fire jolt through her as he hit that spot she had been craving; the one that only he could touch.

"Hermione…" he groaned as he felt her walls start to contract. "I'm gonna cum…baby…I have to…"

"Stay," she breathed in his ear as she rolled her hips harder, her hands locked behind his neck as she felt her body start to tighten. "I wanna feel you cum with me."

He could feel her body starting to tighten around him and it took every ounce of his self-control to stop him from thrusting his hips faster and harder up into her. His release was imminent – he could feel it pounding in his blood, demanding of his brain. The ever-present logic of the situation, however, crashed over him as another sharp twist of her hips sent his body from prolonged pleasure to near-pain.

"Hermione…stop…we don't…we didn't…" he gasped, the muscles in his neck straining to keep control.

"I did," she whispered, nipping his earlobe hard as she pressed her body against his, slamming her hips down as she rode him. He glanced at the counter, trying to take his mind off his inevitable explosion, and saw with some relief the empty contraceptive potion vial that sat next to the sink.

"Oh…_God!_" Hermione moaned as Remus looked back into her eyes, just in time to see the glittering gold before he lost himself in his own euphoric state.

"Oh Christ…" he groaned, tugging a strand of her hair as her walls milked him hard, shoving him over the edge as he held onto her for dear life. His body was exploding with an ecstasy he had not known before, and from the way her body trembled in his arms, he knew that she was just as surprised by the ferocity of their orgasms.

She kissed him passionately as they allowed their bodies to settle, dueling her tongue with his as her breasts pressed intimately against his chest. As their bodies calmed, the passion slowly ebbed to the long, sweet, lingering kisses of two lovers who just couldn't get enough of each other.

"I love you," she whispered as they finally pulled away to catch their breath. "You know that, right?"

He smiled.

"Yes, my beautiful wife," he whispered. "And I love you…_desperately_."

She smirked slightly.

"Long may it last."

He looked into her eyes with an unparalleled sincerity.

"Forever and a day, my love," he whispered, leaning in to kiss her again.

She, however, pulled back slightly.

"Promise me," she said quietly, almost tentatively. "Promise me we'll have the talk about children." She saw fear flicker in his eyes and she held him tighter, not allowing him to break eye contact. "Not now, my love. But soon."

"'Mione…"

"_I_ want children, Remus," she said. "You had to have known that."

"I did, but…"

"And I want them with you."

"Yes, it's just…"

"Not now, of course, but in a few years."

"Hermione…with my curse…"

"It's not a curse. And if one or all of our children were lycanthropes, do you think I'd love them any less?"

"No, but…"

"They will grow up in a house filled with love. With a wonderful, confident, genius mother and a big, strong, brave father."

"Yes, but…"

"And they'll have friends. Harry and Ginny's kids, and Ron's."

"True, but…"

"Remus," she said, pressing her forehead to his and gazing into his cautious eyes. "Not now. But you should know…I think we'd make beautiful babies together."

He gave her a small smile.

"Why do I get the impression that you've already won this argument?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her waist as she cuddled into his body.

"Because," she said, looking back up at him with a slight smirk. "There are really only two rules you need to know. One, I am always right. Two, if I'm ever wrong, please refer back to rule number one."

He chuckled, running a finger over her cheek.

"You'll make a wonderful mother. And I don't know anyone who I would rather have children with."

She smiled.

"I know," she said. "Now, take me into the bedroom and ravish me, husband. We have a lot of lost time to make up for."

Remus grinned, gathering her in his arms and standing up. He chuckled as she squealed, the cold air whipping around their bodies.

"Just you wait 'til we get into that bed," he whispered in her ear, carefully stepping out of the tub with her in his arms. "Three months is an awfully long time for a wolf to go without his mate."

"Hmm…maybe Mooney can show me how much he's missed me."

"He intends to," Remus replied. "I hope you don't have any plans for the rest of the weekend."

She smiled up at him.

"None what-so-ever, my love," she breathed as he lay her on the cool linen. "I'm all yours."

* * *

_Thanks for reading! Please leave love!_


	34. Chapter 34: The Word is Out

**A/N:** Ta-Da! An update in less than 3 weeks! Who's proud of me, eh?

As always, if you're enjoying this and some of my other stories (never mind the shameless plug, okay?) take a look at _The Golden Duo 22_, as the divine _Grande Vanilla Skim Latte_ and I have some great stuff up there.

And finally, last but definitely not least, I bow to the greatness of my beta, Amy. You are brilliant, my love!

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Four: The Word is Out**

Monday started as normally as any other school day in the castle. Surprisingly, no one seemed to know about the quiet Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and his blushing bride-to-be, the studious Head Girl. None of the Gryffindors seemed to notice that the door that usually sat at the bottom of the staircase in their tower was no longer there, nor that the ever-academic Hermione Granger was inconspicuously absent from the breakfast table that morning. When she did appear with the rest of the seventh years in Potions first lessons, they all barely batted an eyelash as she sat with Harry and Ron, working diligently on the NEWT review Professor Snape had put up on the board.

All that changed, however, by lunch.

Hermione was thankful that Ginny had found her, walking towards the Great Hall with Harry and Ron, before she entered. The panting redhead had grabbed Hermione's sleeve, dragging her into an empty classroom and almost slamming the door in Harry and Ron's confused and curious faces.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" Ron asked, annoyed as he nursed his foot, which had been the unfortunate victim in Ginny's enthusiasm to close the classroom door.

"Pansy Parkinson knows about Hermione and Remus," she said breathlessly, collapsing in one of the chairs as Harry rubbed her back, coaching her to breathe.

"_What?_" Hermione asked, aghast. "How?"

Ginny took a deep breath.

"Apparently Lavender and Parvati were talking to Padma about what happened outside the infirmary," she started. "And they first went to Luna to ask if she knew anything. She said she didn't know but was particularly surprised because you two had…well, I don't know exactly what she was talking about but she said you had some kind of buzzing between the two of you." At this, Hermione, Harry, and Ron all rolled their eyes. "Anyway, they were overheard by Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott, both of whom asked Romilda Vane because…well…I'm not entirely sure why they asked her…"

"Get on with it, Ginny," Ron said.

"I'm getting there! Anyway, Romilda cornered me in the girls' second-floor lavatory and started interrogating me and I tried to deny it but Pansy was in one of the stalls and…"

"And she heard," Hermione finished dully.

"Yes," Ginny said. "I swear, Hermione, I was denying it the whole time, but…"

"But that doesn't matter to Pansy Parkinson," Hermione finished once again, rubbing her face with a frustrated hand. "Bugger."

"It's lunchtime," Ginny said, looking somewhat panicked. "It'll be all over the school in a few minutes."

"Damnit!" Hermione cursed. "This is _not_ how I wanted this to happen."

"Well, unless Voldemort attacks in the next fifteen minutes, this is going to be all anyone will be talking about until the end of term," Ginny said.

Harry and Ron exchanged an unreadable look and Harry turned to his girlfriend, who was wringing her hands in a way that was eerily similar to her mother.

"Ginny," he said, getting her attention. "Do you love me?"

Ginny frowned.

"Harry, I hardly think this is the time…"

"Do you love me?" he repeated, more urgently.

"Harry, you know I do, but how is that…"

"And do you trust me?"

"Of course, but…"

"Go to the Great Hall," he instructed, interrupting her again. "Deny everything if people ask. We'll be there shortly."

"All of you?" she asked. "Hermione too?"

"Just go, Ginny," Ron said.

Casting a confused glance to Hermione, Ginny nodded silently and walked out of the classroom. Ron followed, watching her walk down the hall before returning to the room, shutting the door and shaking his head.

"I hope you know what you're doing, mate," he said to Harry, walking over to where the bespectacled man was now pacing.

"It's the only way, isn't it?" Harry replied.

"Yeah, but…do you really want to do it like this?"

"Well…it'll be one to remember, won't it?"

"Do you think you should just walk right in?"

"I was thinking on my broom…"

"Good idea. I'll go get your Firebolt."

"Alright. Meet us in…"

"What _are_ you two on about?" Hermione demanded.

The boys exchanged another unreadable look.

"I'll meet you in the Entrance Hall," Ron said to Harry. "You catch her up."

"Yeah, alright."

Nodding, Ron walked over to a very confused Hermione and enveloped her in a hug.

"It'll be alright," he said with a smile. "You'll see."

And with that, he walked out.

"What on earth is going on?" Hermione asked as Harry resumed his pacing.

"This," he said, digging into his pocket and pulling out a small black velvet box. He tossed it to Hermione, who gave him a confused look before opening it.

Then she gasped.

Inside was a beautiful platinum ring that held a single, obscenely-large solitaire diamond. Taking it out gingerly, her eyes widened as she realized what it was and what he was planning to do. Looking at Harry, she shook her head, completely horrified.

"No," she said softly.

"Yes," he replied, his tone solemn as he walked over to her and took the ring and the case out of her hands, putting the ring neatly back on its bed of red satin.

"Harry, no," she said. "I can't let you…"

"I was going to ask her anyway," he interrupted. "Been carrying it around with me for ages. Be nice to have it off my mind."

"But in public? Where everyone can see?"

He shrugged.

"Why not?"

"What if she says 'no'?!"

He hesitated, as if the thought of being rejected in public hadn't crossed his mind, but he recovered with a stubborn nod and a resolved 'snap' of the case.

"If she says 'no', she says 'no'," he said. "I can take it. And regardless of her answer, it'll take people's mind off you and Lupin."

"But not completely," Hermione argued. "People will still talk…"

"It'll buy you time, at least. It'll allow Lupin to exit the Hall without everyone's eyes on him so you two can talk and strategize in private."

"Oh Harry…"

"My mind's made up, 'Mione," he said. Then he looked at his watch. "Where do you suppose Lupin is right now?"

Hermione closed her eyes and visualized her husband. Immediately, she felt him at the teacher's table, heard him deep in conversation with Sirius and felt his complete obliviousness to the looks he was probably starting to get from most of the student body.

"He's in the Great Hall already. Talking to Sirius."

Harry blinked before smiling slightly.

"That's still wicked cool," he said. "And dead convenient."

"Harry, are you _sure_ you want to do this?"

"Yes. Now, use that connection thing and tell him that once the commotion starts, to exit quietly and meet you in the classroom."

"You _really_ don't have to…"

"'Mione, just do it. And then we'll go meet Ron at the Entrance Hall. People will have gone into the Hall by then and no one will be there to stare at you."

Hermione sighed before realigning her thoughts and closing her eyes to visualize Remus.

"_Darling,"_ she thought and she felt his focus shift to her. _"I'm going to tell you something and I need you to remain calm. And remember, I can feel you."_

After a few seconds – which she was sure he was telling Sirius she was talking to him and could only imagine the smartass comment the animagus would respond with – his voice filtered into her head.

"_Alright, love. What's going on?"_

"_Don't panic, but it would seem that the whole school knows about us."_

She immediately felt his tension and she was sure he was scanning the Great Hall desperately for her so he could get a visual confirmation.

"_I'm not at lunch,"_ she thought, and she felt the tension heighten. _"Relax, Remus, I was warned by Ginny before I got there because she didn't think I would appreciate walking in to whispers and stares unprepared."_

"_So you left __me__ with it?"_

"_That's what I wanted to tell you. Harry's going to bust in and do something absolutely unadvised that will distract everyone's attention long enough for you to slip out undetected. Meet me in your office."_

"_What's Harry going to do?"_

"_Propose to Ginny."_

She could feel a mild surprise and pride overtake the panic for a few seconds before the tension returned.

"_Alright, love,"_ Remus said. _"Do you want me to tell Sirius?"_

Hermione opened her eyes to see Harry pacing again.

"Do you want Remus to tell Sirius what you're planning?" she asked.

Harry paused for a few seconds before nodding.

"Yes."

Hermione nodded and closed her eyes once more.

"_Yes, tell Sirius. But for God's sake be subtle about it,"_ she told her husband, opening her eyes once more as she motioned to Harry that they should start heading down.

She could feel Remus's wry amusement.

"_Sirius? Subtle?"_ he said.

"_Alright, as subtle as you can possibly be."_

After a moment of silence – both in her head and out – as she and Harry made their way through the deserted hallways to the Entrance Hall, Remus's voice sounded again.

"_All set. Ready when you are,"_ he said.

"_Alright. I love you."_

"_I love you too."_

Ron looked up at them as they descended the marble staircase and grinned, handing Harry the broom.

"Ready?" he asked as Harry started to turn a light shade of green.

"Yeah," the ebony-haired man said quietly.

"Got the ring?"

Harry patted his pocket absently.

"Yeah," he repeated vaguely.

"Alright. 'Mione and I will be right out here if you need…er…moral support."

"Cheers, Ron," Harry said, slightly sarcastic, as he mounted his broom. He took a deep breath, put his wand to his throat and said: "_Sonorus!_" before zooming into the Great Hall.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley!" Harry's voice, now magically-magnified, echoed through the Great Hall. Ron and Hermione exchanged a look before scrambling to the doors, peeking in to see Harry making a final circle above the now completely-distracted crowd before swooping down toward a confused, mortified, and blushing Ginny Weasley.

"Oh please say 'yes'," Hermione prayed softly as Harry dismounted and swept to his knee.

"I love you," Harry said, his emerald eyes locked on Ginny. "I love you more than life itself, and I would give anything if you would consent to be my wife." He opened the jewelry box in front of her as her eyes widened to the size of saucers.

The Hall had gone deathly quiet, everyone holding their breath and waiting in anxious anticipation for the redhead's answer.

"Say 'yes'," Hermione pled quietly once more, watching as Ginny gingerly took the ring out of the box.

"Yes," Ginny said quietly, slipping the ring on before collapsing into Harry's open arms. "Oh Merlin, Harry, yes!"

The Hall erupted into cheers and Hermione and Ron shared a conspiratorial smile before she took off down the hallway towards the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom.

Remus arrived just seconds later.

"Office," he said simply as the sounds of footsteps in the hallway warned of late-comers to lunch. They ducked up the small set of stairs to the office and Remus closed the door behind them.

They looked at each other in silence for a few seconds.

"So," Hermione said, casting around for something. "Harry and Ginny, eh?"

"How are we supposed to face everyone, Hermione?" Remus said, ignoring her comment. "How am I going to be able to teach knowing that everyone is now privy to our private life?"

"I sincerely hope that _some_ aspects of our private life are not currently the topic of the Hogwarts rumor mill," she replied.

"Don't joke," she said sternly. "It was foolish to tell Miss Patil and Miss Brown everything…"

"Wait a moment," Hermione interrupted. "You won't make this my fault. They caught us snogging in the hallway, Remus. What did you expect me to tell them? That I tripped and my mouth landed on yours?"

"I _expected_ you to modify their memories," he said.

"So I could spend the next three months watching them moon over you while sneaking in and out of the rooms that we _legitimately_ share until some observant young first-year realizes?" She grasped his hand. "We knew this would happen, Remus. Quite honestly, I expected this to get out far earlier than now. I know it's not ideal but unless you can come up with a way to modify the memories of the entire student body, I'm afraid we have no choice but to accept it."

Remus sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"No matter the situation, Hermione, neither of us is going to come out of this unscathed. I'll look like a lecherous old man and you'll…"

"And I'll get glares from some people and envious looks from others," she finished, dropping his hand. "And those who have a moral problem wouldn't understand true love if it slapped them in the face. We were written in stone from the beginning of time, Remus. You know that. I have the runes to prove it."

He smiled slightly.

"I know, love. I suppose it's just…well…my colleagues, for one…"

"They all know already," she interrupted, walking over and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Hermione…"

"_You have a young, nubile, willing witch for a wife who also happens to be witty, smart, and completely turned on by the very thought of you,"_ she thought, biting her lip for effect. _"What __exactly__ are you worried about, Remus?"_

He sighed, leaning his forehead against hers.

"_There's no way out of what we have, Hermione,"_ he thought, gazing into her eyes. _"And what happens when people start to hate you – to revile you – because you're the mate of a werewolf? What happens when it all gets to be too much and you want to leave but you can't?"_

Her eyes flashed.

"Are we really back to this?" she asked aloud, pulling away from him. "With everything that's happened, do you _still_ not believe that I love you?"

"You haven't had to deal with the glares and the whispers…"

She walked back to him swiftly, yanking his shirt so he was forced down to her eye level.

"Now you listen to me, Remus Lupin," she said in a soft, dangerous tone. "I love you. I've been in love with you for years. I almost lost you just a week and a half ago and I killed another human being because I thought I _had_ lost you. We have been through so much together, Remus, and no amount of your self-doubt or self-loathing is going to take away from the fact that I want to be with you and have a life with you and carry your children. You are my husband. Through _everything_."

"Hermione…"

But she stopped his protests with a deep, passionate kiss. It was a kiss filled with longing, love, and promise, conveying all her emotions for him in that one moment. He groaned, drinking of her greedily, wrapping his arms around her waist and drawing her closer.

Despite having spent the majority of the weekend in bed together, their bodies didn't seem to be sated. Soon, Hermione found herself sitting on the cluttered desk, Remus's hips between her thighs and her shirt halfway unbuttoned as his hands caressed her skin.

"We shouldn't be doing this," he breathed, cupping her breasts through her bra as her hands quickly unbuttoned his shirt under his robes.

"You're right," she replied, catching his lips in a quick, heated kiss as her hands ran over his soft skin.

"This is my office,' he tried to reason, though his fingers were on her toned thighs, inching up her skirt.

"Hmm…yes," she replied, her hands deftly unbuckling his belt. "And I suppose fucking me on your desk while I'm wearing my school uniform is probably very unprofessional."

Growling, Remus caught her lips, pushing her underwear aside before thrusting swiftly into her. He felt her walls massage him tightly and her nails rake through his hair as she suppressed her moans. It turned him on considerably that he had that effect on her and he groaned as her nails dug into his shoulders as he rocked his hips hard against hers.

"'Mione," he whispered in her ear as he quickened his thrusts. His cock twitched as she whimpered in reply. "Baby, can you be quiet?"

"I…" she groaned, biting hard on her lip as he felt her muscles starting to contract around him.

"_You have to be quiet, love," _he begged silently.

"_You feel so good…I don't think I can…"_

Her hips bucked as he pressed deeper, hitting her spot, and his eyes slammed closed as her body curled perfectly into his.

"_Fuck,"_ he thought. _"You're so tight."_

"Remus…" she gasped and he quickly pressed his hand to her mouth as she came hard, her screams muffled as he rolled his hips harder, her tight walls pulling him over the edge. He buried his face into her hair as his hips jerked, spilling his seed into her. He thanked God that their morning love-making had warranted a contraceptive potion for the day.

She caught his lips as they settled back into their normal breathing patterns. Pulling away, he gazed into her eyes, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear before dropping soft kisses on her eyelids. She smiled softly and ran her hand over his slightly-weathered, scarred face. Her heart melted slightly as he nuzzled into her palm, inhaling her scent.

"I _do_ love you, Remus," she said. "And nothing is going to change that."

"You promise?" he asked, and had there not been a real vulnerability to his gaze she would have laughed at the absurdity that he would even have to ask.

"I promise."

He kissed her before pulling back and straightening up. Glancing at her watch, Hermione gasped.

"Shit! Class started five minutes ago."

His brow furrowed.

"I don't have a class this period. Sirius took the…seventh years…"

She arched an amused eyebrow as the realization hit him.

"A full class of seventh years – _your_ peers – are just outside that door," he said slowly.

"Yes," she said, allowing him to come to the conclusion she had already reached.

"And we're going to exit looking like we've been shagging seven ways to Sunday."

"Yes."

"Oh shit."

She smiled slightly.

"Come on, love. It was bound to happen at some point."

"I vote we stay in here until the class is over."

"Vote denied. Come on." And before he could argue, she had grabbed her school bag, straightened her skirt, and opened the office door wide.

As she had suspected, the class had assembled and Sirius was mid-sentence. All eyes flew to her but she pretended it was nothing, holding her head high as she descended the stairs and walked over to Ron and Harry. Remus, however, was slightly less confident, and refused to maintain eye contact as he edged toward the door.

Sirius – clearly trying to hide a wide, knowing grin – was about to go back to his lecture when a cold, shrill sneer came from the Slytherin side of the classroom.

"So it's true," Pansy said. "The Head Girl is shagging her professor."

"Miss Parkinson, I hardly see how that is relevant to the shield charms we're talking about," Sirius said with a charming smile to her. In spite of herself, Pansy blushed.

"I'm not surprised," Draco said loudly, ignoring the look Sirius sent him. "After all, it makes perfect sense – the Mudblood and the werewolf."

"Fifteen points from Slytherin, Mr. Malfoy, for your language and disrupting class," Sirius snapped. "Now, if everyone…"

"What Hermione and Professor Lupin decide to do on their own time shouldn't be anyone else's business," a voice said from the Gryffindor side and Hermione felt her jaw drop as Lavender glared at Draco. "I don't understand why you think it's such a big deal. They're both adults. If I didn't know, better, Draco, I would think you were jealous."

The blond glared in Hermione's general direction, but found himself on the receiving end of an army of equally-menacing glares from Harry, Ron, Neville, Dean, Seamus, Lavender, and Parvati. Hermione felt her heart soar as she glanced at Remus, noting his rapt attention on the clear support most of her classmates were showing them.

Draco, trying not to be intimidated, gave a scoff.

"Jealous? Of _him_?" he said, nodding arrogantly over to where Remus was standing. "You must be joking. If he wants her, he can have her. I don't care."

"Good to hear it," Sirius said, breathing a sigh of relief as he noticed both Ron and Harry aiming their wands in Draco's direction. "Now, if we're done discussing Miss Granger's private life, let's talk a bit about…"

"_I love you,"_ Remus's voice said in Hermione's head and she didn't have to turn to look at him to know that he was smiling at her.

"_I love you too."_

"It's not all going to be this easy," Harry murmured in her ear, finding Sirius momentarily blind to their clear lack-of-interest in his lecture. "You should know that."

"I know," she whispered back with a small smile. "But with you guys around and Remus by my side, I think I might be able to deal with it."

Harry smiled, patting her hand with his and they shared one of those looks that only the best of friends could share. Though she didn't hear his voice in her head, she knew exactly what he wanted to tell her and from the way his eyes shone with brotherly affection, Harry knew she felt the exact same way.

* * *

_If you haven't got Twitter or kept up with my tweets, then I suppose this last part comes a bit anti-climactically. This is the penultimate chapter of The Wolf and Little Red. One more to go and then I will officially slap the 'Complete' note on it. Anyway, the fact that there isn't a huge brew-ha-ha about their relationship came from the fact that I didn't feel like spending time dignifying the cries of moral indignation from students I don't care about. :) SO...I hope you're not too mad at me for this._

_If you are, please feel free to submit said frustration in writing - on my reviews page. If you liked it (which I hope you did) please review to counteract the inevitable flames. :)_

_Once again, thanks to everyone, and keep an eye out for the last chapter.  
_


	35. Chapter 35: Epilogue

**A/N:** Well, folks, this is it. The last chapter. I wish I could thank each and every one of you fantastic readers for sticking with this story, but as it happens, I'm at a loss for words by the support you have all shown me. This was my first long fic, and you all have definitely made it a pleasure to write. Thank you.

AMY, my love, my life, my darling - I dedicate this chapter to you for being such a phenomenal beta, friend, and co-writer.

* * *

**Chapter Thirty-Five: Epilogue**

The war was over.

The final battle between the light and the dark had descended swiftly upon Hogwarts Castle just days before exams. Though triumphant, the side of light had been dealt several harsh losses. Parvati Patil was found wandering the Forbidden Forest aimlessly, her soul destroyed by the Dementor's Kiss. Percy Weasley – finally finding his loyalty – had jumped in front of a curse intended for Fred. Neville Longbottom, hand clenched around the lifeless form of Luna Lovegood, had been struck down by the malevolent evil of Rabastan Lestrange.

And Albus Dumbledore, defender of the side of light, had fallen at the hand of Lord Voldemort himself, as the final sacrifice that allowed Harry to destroy the epitome of evil once and for all.

Though disheartened by these and other, equally devastating losses, the sudden freedom of the wizarding world from the dark threat that had clouded their lives for decades cast a sudden, bright light upon the brave souls that had brought about the new era. Kingsley Shacklebolt had been named the new Minister of Magic. Arthur Weasley was selected to head up the department of Magical Law Enforcement. All the members of the Order of the Phoenix – recruits included – were awarded the Order of Merlin, First Class, for their brave efforts in the final battle. And the Golden Trio – two engaged and all blissfully happy – were celebrated as the defenders of all that was good and right with the world.

***

The light, late-August breeze whipped around the revelers as fairy lights twinkled merrily in the fading dusk. Hermione sat contentedly on her husband's – both in magic _and_ in law – lap, watching her friends and extended family enjoy each other's company. She was glad that the year of peace that had passed had not dulled the friendships they had all forged in those years of great fear and tragedy.

She smiled as she watched one-year-old Viktor climb out of his mother's lap to toddle over to six-month-old Victoire, who sat contentedly with her teddy bear at Fleur's exhausted feet. The hooked-nose toddler – the very picture of his late father – gripped a strand of Victoire's sleek blonde hair and tugged, giggling uncontrollably and scampering away as Victoire gave a loud shriek. Mina did her best to chastise her young son, but Fleur's angry glare was not directed at Viktor as much as toward a chuckling Sirius, who stood by the punch bowl.

Shifting her focus to the raven-haired Marauder, Hermione smirked as she saw him go back to the argument he was having with Snape. She knew that a year was far from enough time to heal the deep wounds between the two men, but as Snape cracked a wry smile at something Sirius said, Hermione knew that there was hope.

Victoire's shrieks had brought over her father and eldest uncle, both of whom were carrying plates of what looked to be very rare meat. As Charlie's attention was focused on his niece, Hermione watched as Bill traded his side of meat with his brother's, as Bill's seemed to be bleeding more. Though she found the whole situation slightly distasteful, Hermione had to hand it to Bill for going out of his way to destroy the centuries of bad blood between werewolves and vampires by making sure his brother got used to his new classification as a tainted soul.

She felt Remus's arm coil tighter around her waist and she snuggled back into his body, her left hand entwining with his as their wedding bands caught the candlelight. Though they had only been wearing them for a few hours, the glinting gold felt so right against her finger that she wondered why she had ever doubted marriage in the first place.

"_What are you thinking about?"_ her lover's voice questioned.

She smiled.

"_As if you have to ask,"_ she replied, causing him to chuckle, his lips pressing lightly against the base of her neck.

"I do believe we're being upstaged," he whispered as he sat his chin affectionately upon her shoulder, and she followed his gaze to where Harry and Ginny – tanned and sunburned respectively from their recent honeymoon in Fiji – sat snogging heavily. Harry's hair was more disheveled than usual from Ginny's hands combing passionately through it.

"Just wait 'til he gets her pregnant," a voice said beside them and they turned to see Tonks, her belly swollen, ease into the chair next to them. "Then she won't be so eager to paw him in public."

Hermione grinned.

"I don't know, Tonks. From what Ron's told me, you're not exactly putting up much of a fight. In fact, he's quite exhausted by the amount of shagging you demand of him."

Tonks shrugged.

"Depends on the day. Some days I love him, others I want to rip his guts out."

"Rip whose guts out?" Ron asked, materializing beside Tonks with a glass of firewhiskey in his hand.

She looked up at him accusingly.

"Where's mine, then?" she asked, ignoring his question.

"Now Dora, you know Madame Pomfrey said…"

"I don't give a rat's arse what she said. It's a wedding! One drink…"

"I'm not risking my child's – "

"_Our_ child."

" – health because you don't want to follow directions."

"Then get me some punch instead," she said stoutly. "I'm dying of thirst over here!"

Ron gave a chuckling Remus and Hermione a long-suffering look before stalking over to the punch bowl.

Tonks sighed.

"I love him, but sometimes it's like living with his mother," she said, smiling affectionately as Ron battled his way passed the twins toward the punch bowl. Then she groaned. "Oh bloody hell, now I have to pee. Excuse me," she added, almost as an afterthought as she struggled to her feet before shuffling toward the Burrow. She almost knocked into Angelina as she and Padma were exiting the kitchen with a tray of food.

"I'm honestly amazed she hasn't killed him yet," Remus said.

"You should have seen her when she found out she was pregnant," Hermione replied. "Her hair went stark white and her body turned bright red. It would've been funny if I hadn't been holding her back from hexing Ron."

"She seems to have recovered nicely," Remus said with a chuckle.

"I think she knew it was bound to happen someday. Though, she found out right after Ron had asked her to marry him for the sixth time and I think she was worried that he had replaced her contraceptive potion or something to get her pregnant intentionally." She paused. "He didn't, of course, but it was murder trying to explain that to _her_ for the first week or so."

They sat once more in comfortable silence, once again surveying their friends. Hermione chuckled as she watched Mr. Weasley ask her parents various questions – undoubtedly Muggle appliance-related – at a nearby table. The looks of confusion and slight trepidation on their faces was priceless. Hermione was glad her parents had agreed to come to the wedding, but she had come to the conclusion that she was going to live her life with or without their involvement – the choice, of course, being theirs. In turn, Mr. and Mrs. Granger seemed to know that they had all but lost their daughter to the secret wizarding world they would never really understand.

"Hermione," a voice said, and she looked up to see Snape standing next to her. "I think I'm going to go. I leave for Hogwarts in the morning and there's some last minute packing that needs to get done."

"Must you go? We still have to throw the garter and the bouquet," she said, standing and smoothing out the skirt of her dress as Remus followed, looping his arm around her waist once more.

"Oh, I hardly think my presence is required for that. And there is only so much of Black that I can tolerate at any given moment."

"Now now, you both need to learn how to play nice," Remus joked, shaking Snape's hand. "You're going to be colleagues, after all."

Snape gave another wry smile.

"I'm trying to forget that piece of information for the time being, Lupin. He truly is…"

"Insufferable?" Hermione teased.

Snape chuckled.

"I was going to say 'intolerable', but I suppose either is appropriate."

"Well…thank you, Severus. For everything. And especially for giving me away today," Hermione said, hugging the stoic man and feeling him relax slightly under her embrace.

"It was my honor. Though why you didn't want your own father to do it…"

"He understands how much you mean to me," she interrupted, pulling away as her eyes shone with happy tears.

"Now now, none of that sentimental drivel, Miss Granger…or rather, Mrs. Lupin," Snape said in kindly reproach. "My reputation, after all."

"Oh, we all know you're just a big softie," Hermione joked, kissing him on the cheek.

She and Remus waved good-bye and turned back to their guests once he left.

"I'm going to get some punch. Would you like anything?" Hermione asked as Remus sat again.

"No thank you, love," he replied. "Hurry back."

Smiling, Hermione made her way over to the punch bowl, stopping every so often to speak to well-wishers. When she finally reached the drink table, she had barely poured herself a glass before George grabbed it, replacing it with another.

"I…er…wouldn't drink that," he said, his eyes casting around – undoubtedly making sure his mother wasn't within earshot.

"Why? What did you do?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

"Nothing!" Fred, who had appeared at her other shoulder, said quickly.

"Then why shouldn't I drink _that_ punch?" she repeated, pointing to the glass George had just confiscated.

"Well, we might have put a _little_ – "

"A _lot_, actually," Fred corrected.

" – of various different alcohols in it," George finished.

Hermione eyes widened.

"But Tonks…"

"Don't worry, we gave her a harmless one too," Fred assured her.

"Yeah. That baby is going to have enough problems to worry about, what with Ron's unfortunate nose – "

" – and lackluster Quidditch skills."

Hermione chuckled, taking a tentative sip of the punch and finding it blissfully alcohol-free.

"You two are too much," she said, kissing each of them on the cheek and heading back towards Remus.

She was intercepted by Mrs. Weasley.

"My dear, it's almost time for the cake," she said, her gray-streaked red hair coming out of her bun from all her running around. "I think you should throw the bouquet and garter first – just to raise the excitement a bit."

"Alright," Hermione said, motioning for Remus to come over. "You've done a phenomenal job, Mrs. Weasley. I can't really thank you enough. Really."

"Oh, 'Mione, it was my pleasure. Though I do wish you would start calling me Molly. We married women need to have some equity amongst us." Her eyes twinkled merrily as Remus joined them. "Remus, dear, I was just telling your lovely wife that you should throw the bouquet and garter before we have cake to get everyone excited."

"Sounds good, Molly. Thank you again for doing this for us. Have you had a moment to enjoy it yourself? Have some punch and relax."

Hermione was about to protest when Mrs. Weasley chuckled.

"Oh, I will. Merlin knows I'll need the obscene amount of alcohol Fred and George have inevitably added to it."

She winked at Hermione and bustled off as Hermione chuckled, taking another sip of her punch. Remus looked at the glass in her hand and then at her, arching his eyebrow.

Hermione laughed.

"They gave me a safe glass," she explained, handing it to him. "See?"

He took a sniff before handing it back.

"I'll try not to be too disappointed by the fact that I won't see you drunk. Ron says you're quite adorable when you're inebriated."

She grinned playfully.

"I want to be sober when I make love to you tonight," she said softly, placing a lingering kiss on his lips.

"Hmm…sounds like a plan."

She smirked before clearing her throat.

"Ladies and gentlemen," she announced, receiving everyone's undivided attention. "I've just been told that it's time for the bouquet and garter to be thrown."

There was wild applause and a few cat calls as Sirius brought a chair to the center of the dance floor, grinning at his best friend as Remus led Hermione to it.

"Keep it clean, Mooney," he teased. "We don't want a replay of James and Lily's wedding."

Those who had been there or had heard about James's less-than-appropriate removal of Lily's garter chuckled, while those who were in the dark received quiet explanations as Hermione sat in the chair. She locked eyes with Remus as he knelt before her, taking her right leg and placing it gently on his shoulder.

"_I can't wait to remove other things from your body,"_ Remus's voice said in her head as he ran his hands up her calf, placing a chaste kiss on her knee.

"_Are you going to remove my knickers with your teeth too?"_ she asked mildly as he kissed up her lower thigh.

"_Hmm…it's tempting…"_

"Oi! No sharing dirty thoughts!" one of the twins shouted from the crowd.

"Yeah! She's blushing like a tomato!" the other twin called.

Hermione could feel Remus's lips curl into a smirk and she slapped him playfully on the shoulder. He nipped at her thigh, which caused her to shiver slightly, before continuing with the task at hand and slowly bringing the item down her leg.

"Single gents, please stand over here," Ginny said authoritatively, having disentangled herself from Harry's arms to perform her duty as maid of honor.

"That doesn't include you, Ronald."

"Dora, I was getting out of the way."

"Alright Sid and Nancy, calm down," Ginny interrupted, pulling Ron away from the small throng of men. "Remus, when you're ready."

Remus stood, grinning down at his wife as he let her leg drop, and tossed the garter behind him.

It fell comically on Sirius's head.

"Well I suppose that was fairly predictable," Sirius said with a grin, removing the piece of cloth and grinning mischievously. "Alright, 'Mione, let's see what unfortunate lady I get to put this on to."

The single women huddled together excitedly, casting glances at Sirius as Remus helped Hermione up onto the chair. Turning away, she paused before flinging the bouquet backwards. Hopping down, she watched the scramble with a knowing smile. Several seconds later, Mina – slightly dazed – emerged with the bouquet.

She blushed as Sirius came forward, and Hermione noticed the Marauder gleam in his eye.

"You did that on purpose," Hermione mumbled to Remus as they watched Mina sit awkwardly on the chair as Sirius knelt in front of her, the garter already between his teeth as he reached for her leg.

"Did what?" he asked innocently.

"You know what," she said, grinning up at him. "I know for a fact that she was nowhere near where that bouquet landed."

He grinned.

"I might have helped it along," he said. "No more than _you_ did. Causing the garter to land on his _head_ was a nice touch."

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean."

"I'm sure you _do_, little witch."

Hermione chuckled, leaning into him.

"I figured I'd give them a push. They've been living together for over a year. Viktor _already_ thinks of Sirius as a father. It was all for the stability and happiness of my godson, really."

Remus laughed, gazing into her eyes as the crowd catcalled Sirius and Mina.

"I have a bit of a present for you, if you want it," Remus said softly.

"Oh?"

He dug into his pocket and pulled out a vial of potion. Hermione arched an eyebrow.

"My contraceptive potion? Remus, if it's the present I think it is, I've unwrapped it several hundred times, and as incredible as it is…"

She trailed off as he removed the rubber stopper and poured the contents onto the grass below. Then he looked into her eyes.

"I'm ready when you are," he said.

After taking a few seconds to comprehend what he had just said, Hermione flung her arms around him, kissing him deeply, uncaring that they were surrounded by friends and family. Words simply could not convey the love that was surging through her heart at that moment as she held her husband in her arms and felt his strong, safe body cocoon her.

Pulling away, she gazed into his eyes, knowing that she would never get sick of the stormy gray or dancing amber, or the indescribable mixture of the two – which was what she was gazing at now. He was neither just Mooney or just Remus.

He was just simply _hers_.

"I love you, Remus John Lupin."

"I love you too, Hermione Jane Granger-Lupin."

She grinned.

"Just call me Mrs. Lupin," she whispered before kissing him once more, knowing exactly how her fairy tale was going to end.

Happily. Ever. After.

* * *

_Thank you so much for reading. If you're curious what my next project is, just ask when you leave me love and I will let you know!_

_Thank you again for your patronage._

_~ Meg  
_


End file.
